Souls, minds and matter: An introduction to the philosophy of human nature ADED11567E

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: Short Courses
  • Credits: 10
  • Level: Level 1 (SCQF level 7)
  • Typically Offered: Full Year
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

Do you have a soul, or are you simply your brain, or some kind of complicated natural program that 'runs' on your brain? How you can ever make free choices if you live in a world governed by natural laws which determine everything that happens? How might belief in the existence of God affect the answers to the previous questions? Is there a god? This course will address these and related questions by examining the main answers that have been offered by leading philosophers and scientists.

Timetable

2 hours per week for 10 weeks

For timetable details, please see our web pages University of Glasgow - Study - Short courses

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

One essay of 2,000 words assessing one of the philosophical views discussed in the course, to be submitted by the final class meeting.

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? No

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Develop students' critical and analytical skills through engagement with philosophical discourse.

■ Introduce students to some of the key debates in the philosophy of mind, religion, and the free will debate.

■ Equip students with some of the elements of scholarly method and theoretical understanding required to pursue further study in this and other scholarly areas

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Demonstrate a critical understanding of the relevant philosophical texts

■ Analyse some of the core concepts in the philosophy of mind, religion, and the free will debate

■ Assess philosophical arguments with regard to their validity and soundness

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.