The Philosophy of Value

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• articulate, present and debate philosophical ideas, both orally and in writing, in an open-minded but rigorous way
• understand complex philosophical texts. This involves: - identifying the central themes and problems in a philosophical text - identifying main views and solutions offered by the authors - identifying authors’ arguments in support of the above
• critically assess complex philosophical texts. This involves: - identifying and explaining solutions to the philosophical questions and problems proposed in the central texts - assessing the cogency and success of the above - identifying and explaining other possible solutions and assessing their relative merits

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the relationship between the different texts studied, where appropriate.
• how to undertake independent research appropriate to the production of an assessed essay
• the central themes, problems and arguments in the texts studied

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• present the outcome of your research orally in a seminar context
• engage in group discussion, making and taking constructive criticism
• manage the time and resources available to you in order to achieve success in the above tasks
• summarise the central themes, questions, problems and solutions related to that topic
• critically assess the cogency and success of proposed solutions
• write a clear and well-structured overview of the main issues, possible problems and solutions relevant to topic being examined
• research a complex topic independently

The syllabus will vary from year to year, depending on the research interests of the module coordinator. Some recent topics include:

• Kant's Critique of Judgment
• T.M. Scanlon's What We Owe To Each Other
• The Nature and Norms of Blame

Teaching activities include

• Seminars

Learning activities include

• Reading assigned material
• Attending seminars and contributing to discussion
• Preparing and giving presentations
• Doing research for and writing assessed essays

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.