Philosophy
Courses in Detail
PHL 01: BASIC PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES
Leader: Bill Humphrey
Day and time: Tuesday 10.00 - 11.15
Terms: Autumn, spring.
Number of places: 11
We will complete our discussion of Michael Sandel’s Justice and go on to read and discuss Simon Blackburn's The Big Questions: Philosophy.
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PHL 02: LOGIC FOR BEGINNERS
Tutor: Jennifer Stuart
Day and time: Tuesday 11.30 - 12.30
Venue: The Michaelhouse Centre, Trinity Street
Terms: Autumn.
Number of places: 12
Knowing that your own reasoning is technically sound, and being able to assess the correctness of others’ reasoning (be it politicians, advertising, the law or just everyday life) is of great practical value in a world of information overload.
The course will study what makes good and bad reasoning, and go on to the basics of formal logic, with exercises, examples and discussion.
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PHL 03: EVOLUTION OF QUAKER THOUGHT AND BELIEF
Co-ordinator: Lenore Abraham
Day and time: Friday 9.50 - 10.50
Venue: Room 5, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Autumn.
Number of places: 15
“The Quakers are an interesting if not a puzzling phenomenon. They worship in silence but publish a continuous stream of books and pamphlets largely about themselves….. They are few in number yet you find them everywhere, often in places of considerable influence. They are fearless social reformers and have a very good head for business…. They have never celebrated sacraments nor borne arms. They have never refused to recognise women as ministers and their status as Christians is unquestioned, except by free-thinking members of their own community… They much prefer to travel hopefully than to arrive.” One of their earlier names is “Friends of Truth”. So says John Punshon in Portrait in Grey: a short history of the Quakers, which the class will read and discuss (£12.00: order from Waterstone’s or Heffer’s). Class members will take turns in suggesting for class consideration interesting questions inspired by that week’s reading.
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PHL 04: HUMANISM AND RELIGION
Co-ordinators: Brian Wallis, Roger Tapp & Pat Hartley
Day and time: Saturday 10.30 - 12.00
Venue: Room 5, 27-28 Bridge Street
Terms: Autumn, spring.
Number of places: 16
This year we will be using two books to provide a discussion framework.
The Communist Manifesto; K. Marx, F Engels:
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ; P Pullman. The course will consist of picking out particular ideas and themes from each book to provide the basis of a presentation, before opening up to class discussion.
The Communist Manifesto gives us a material view of history and appeals for a particular form of society.
The Good Man explores the conflict which arises when ideas/hopes/beliefs are drawn together by someone to make an ‘organisation’, which then begins to influence the truth and the future presentation.
To get the course off to a good start Professor Graham Roberts will give a talk on the political and historical context for and the continuing relevance of The Communist Manifesto, and his experience developed from living through the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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