Introduction Philosophical Problems
Code: 100292 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500246 Philosophy | FB | 1 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Marta Tafalla González
- Email:
- Marta.Tafalla@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- Yes
Prerequisites
Objectives and Contextualisation
The course offers an introduction to philosophical practice: we will observe and analyze how philosophy raises questions and problems,
how it describes them in philosophical language, and how it attempts to solve them through worldviews, theoretical frameworks, concepts and arguments,
and also seeking collaboration from scientific, humanistic or artistic disciplines. Taking four of the great philosophical problems as examples,
we will observe how philosophy works, how philosophers dialogue and debate in search of the best solutions.
We will analyze philosophical practice as a critical gaze and suspicious attitude, and also as dialogue and conversation, and we will examine the different ways of writing philosophical texts.
Competences
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Recognising and interpreting topics and problems of philosophy in its various disciplines.
- Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
- Thinking in a critical and independent manner on the basis of the specific topics, debates and problems of philosophy, both historically and conceptually.
Learning Outcomes
- Arguing about several issues and philosophical problems for the purpose of different works and the assessment of the results.
- Correctly drawing up a previously analysed non-regulatory text.
- Correctly, accurately and clearly communicating the acquired philosophical knowledge in oral and written form.
- Demonstrating a personal stance over a problem or controversy of philosophical nature, or a work of philosophical research.
- Distinguishing the topics of philosophical relevance in current debates.
- Establishing relationships between science, philosophy, art, religion, politics, etc.
- Expressing both orally and in written form, the issues and basic problems of the philosophical tradition.
- Recognising, with a critical eye, philosophical referents of the past and present and assessing its importance.
- Relating several ideas of the current philosophical debates.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
- Summarizing the main arguments of the analysed philosophical texts.
- Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.
Content
The course will introduce four major philosophical problems, which we will address by reading, analyzing and discussing four books
that will serve as our guides. This will also allow us to reflect on the different genres of philosophical writing.
Theme 1. How to inhabit the Earth?
Lecture: Henry David Thoreau (1854), Walden o la vida en los bosques (Madrid: Errata Naturae, 2013), trans. Marcos Nava
Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/205/205-h/205-h.htm
Theme 2. How to live with others?
Lecture: Mark Rowlands (2008), El filósofo y el lobo. Lecciones sobre el amor y la felicidad (Barcelona: Seix Barral, 2009), trans. María José Díez
Theme 3. How to organize human societies?
Lecture: Silvia Federici (2004), Calibán y la bruja (Madrid: Traficantes de sueños, 2010), trans. Verónica Hendel y Leopoldo Sebastián Touza
Link: https://www.traficantes.net/sites/default/files/pdfs/Caliban%20y%20la%20bruja-TdS.pdf
Theme 4. How to build a hopeful future?
Lecture: Alicia H. Puleo, Claves ecofeministas para rebeldes que aman a la Tierra y a los animales (Madrid: Plaza y Valdés, 2019)
Methodology
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Sessions in the classroom | 45 | 1.8 | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Making a video | 20 | 0.8 | 3, 11, 2, 10 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading compulsory texts | 77.5 | 3.1 | 6, 8, 2, 9, 10, 12 |
Assessment
The evaluation consists of three tests.
The first is an exam that will take place in the middle of the course, and the second is an exam that will take place at the end of the course. The exact dates will be announced during the first days of class. In the exams, it will be necessary to demonstrate a sufficient knowledge of the contents worked in the classes and of the compulsory readings, as well as capacity for analysis and critical reflection.
The third test consists of preparing a paper on one of the topics covered in the course, and its oral presentation in a video. It is recommended to do this work in groups of 3/4 people, but if someone prefers to do an individual video, they can do it. Important: it is necessary to make a proposal for the topic of the video in a tutorial session with the lecturer. While doing the video, the students can attend more tutorial sessions with the lecturer during the hours of attention in the office. The deadline for the video will be established between the first and second exam. The exact date will be announced on the first days of class.
Once each test has been evaluated, and the note posted on the campus virtual, the students who wish may go to the lecturer's office during the hours of attention, and ask for a review.
Students who have failed one, two or all three tests may apply for reevaluation and retrieve the tests they have suspended.
If a student has not performed some of the tests, they can go to reevaluation. But to be able to go to reevaluation, it will be necessary to have performed, at least, two of the three tests.
When a student has not performed none of the tests, or has only performed one of them, it will be considered "non-evaluable".
It will be necessary to pass the three tests to pass the course. The final grade will be the average grade of the three tests.
Students are asked to use the email only for urgent matters. The rest of doubts and problems will be solved during the class and office hours. No tutorials will be done by email.
If a student needs to communicate urgently with the lecturer, please do not use the campus virtual, but: Marta.Tafalla@uab.cat
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity,
regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam 1 | 33,3 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 11, 8, 2, 9, 10, 12 |
| Exam 2 | 33,3 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 13, 11, 8, 2, 9, 10, 12 |
| Video | 33,3 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 13, 10, 12 |
Bibliography
Compulsory Readings
They are indicated in the content section
Further Reading
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
https://plato.stanford.edu/
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
https://www.iep.utm.edu/