Undergraduate Module Descriptor

PHL2122: Data, Experiments, and Society

This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to enable you to critically reflect on the ethical and epistemic issues that experimental practice raises in various contexts. The module draws on a mixture of literature from philosophy, the natural and social sciences, and the corporate world (Google, Facebook, etc.) to build a conceptual toolbox that will allow you to perform such critical reflection. In the process you will also learn how to apply philosophical/ethical analyses to complex practical issues.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. apply a selection of conceptual tools for analysing the nature of experimentation in contemporary research
2. critically engage with a case study of experimental practice
Discipline-Specific Skills3. demonstrate in writing and orally some competence in using major theoretical perspectives and concepts in philosophy and how they apply to real-world cases
4. illustrate the role and importance of detailed empirical knowledge for philosophical understanding
Personal and Key Skills5. learn to think, write, and argue logically through class discussions and written assignments
6. reconsider your personal understanding of experimentation and its place in your own culture/discipline