PHIL498-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025

History of Philosophy

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
End Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 2 March 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 11 May 2025

Description

This course introduces you to the philosophy of the early modern period. We shall pay particular attention to the epistemological and metaphysical questions addressed by Descartes in his Meditations and by Hume in Book 1 of his A Treatise of Human Nature. We also study Hume's moral theory, Locke's epistemology and Berkeley's metaphysics. Topics covered include rationalism and empiricism, dreaming, scepticism, proofs of the existence of God, mind-body dualism, idealism, the nature of self, personal identity, causation, reason and the passions. Is knowledge based on reason or experience? Can I be sure that I'm not dreaming? Can I be sure of anything? When, in any case, is the 'I'? What is the relationship between mind and body? What is it to remain the same person over time? Does the external world exist, and, if so, what is it by nature? Can 'ought' be derived from 'is'? Is morality based on reason of the passions?

To take 400-level courses in Philosophy you don’t need to have majored in Philosophy, and you don’t even need to have done your undergraduate degree at UC. If you complete 120 points in 400-level Philosophy, you will get a BA Honours degree in Philosophy—but you can also take a smaller number of 400-level Philosophy courses and credit these towards your BA or BSc Honours degree in another subject, e.g. Psychology or Political Science or Mathematics. We offer 400-level courses in diverse areas.  You can also write a 30-point Research Essay on a topic of your choice. For a list of 400-level Philosophy courses, click here.

Honours is about developing your own research interests and engaging with cutting-edge research. UC’s Philosophy Department has a very strong research profile. We have world-class experts on Turing, Wittgenstein, philosophy of mind,  ethics and bioethics, logic, and philosophy of computing. UC philosophers are regularly invited to lecture on their research at universities in Australasia, Europe and the United States.

For further information about Philosophy courses, including additional 400-level independent study courses, contact Diane Proudfoot. For information about Honours degrees, see the BA Honours regulations and BSc Honours regulations.

Learning Outcomes

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Employable, innovative and enterprising

Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

Globally aware

Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Head of Department.

Restrictions

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 10:00 - 12:00 Ernest Rutherford 260
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 12:00 - 14:00 A4 Lecture Theatre
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun

Course Coordinator

Michael-John Turp

Contact Michael-John for further information.

Assessment

Please check the course LEARN page for further details and updates.

Course links

Course Outline

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $2,169.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Humanities .

All PHIL498 Occurrences

  • PHIL498-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025