This course is suited to the beginner and also
those with some experience of philosophy. It is based on informal group discussion and aims to give students the
opportunity to think philosophically about a range of subjects. In so doing, they will gain a deeper
understanding both of these subjects and of what philosophical enquiry
involves. By the end of the course,
students should feel confident to explore other subjects from a philosophical
angle and thus gain an enriched understanding of them.
There will be a different subject focus for each
of the five sessions of the course:
Session One
We shall consider what philosophy is about and why
people study it. This will include
discussion of the benefits to be gained from thinking philosophically, both for
the individual and for society as a whole. The subject focus will be on Art. We shall look at reproductions of a number of paintings and ask
questions such as: What makes a work of art beautiful? Does beauty matter, or should we be more
interested in whether something is stimulating, or disturbing? What makes someone a 'great' artist? What is the purpose of art in the life of the
individual and within the community?
Session Two
This session will address the subject of
religion. We shall ask: What is a
religion? What separates a religion from
another deeply-held conviction that is not a religion? Does one need to be religious to study
religion? Can one be a philosopher and
believe in God? Down the centuries, philosophers
have put forward a variety of arguments to prove the existence of God. We shall look at some of these arguments, and
also consider whether, in fact, the existence of God is something that is open
to proof.
Session Three
The subject for this session will be morality,
which for philosophers is the study of ethics. We shall begin by looking at three broad types of ethical theory:
consequentialist, Kantian and virtue ethics. We shall ask: Is morality possible without religion? We shall explore a variety of contemporary
moral and political issues. These will
include: the principles of good government in a democracy; how far a government
should be able to control the lives of its citizens; to what extent we have a
duty to give to charity; and our responsibility towards the environment.
Session Four
In this session we shall be discussing
history. First, we shall think about
what the study of history consists of and ask: Can we ever know the truth about
the past? Other issues to be discussed
include: Is a historian able to take an objective view of the past? Is the study of history necessary and if so,
why? What should young people be
learning about history in school? Can knowledge of the past help to resolve
problems faced by countries in the present? Do we have any duties towards previous generations, thinking both of our
own families and of the nation as a whole?
Session Five
The final session will be devoted to the issue of
identity. We shall approach this topic
from a variety of angles, asking: How do we define and describe ourselves? How important is memory in making us who we
are? How important to our sense of
ourselves are gender, family, culture, religion and nationality? How do humans differ from animals and what
implications does this have for the rights of each? Does respect for human identity require us to
place restrictions on how human embryos may be used? Could robots develop a
sense of identity?
Background reading is not essential for this
course, but the following books may be of interest. Within this list, the book
most closely linked to the course content is Nigel Warburton's Philosophy: The Basics.
Julian Baggini and Jeremy Stangroom (Eds.) New British Philosophy: The Interviews
Nicholas Fearn Philosophy:
The Latest Answers to the Oldest Questions
Stephen LawThe Philosophy Gym: 25 Short Adventures in Thinking
Nigel Warburton Philosophy: The Basics
Nigel Warburton The Art Question
