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2020/2021

Interpreting Philosophical Texts

Code: 100293 ECTS Credits: 6

Degree	Type	Year	Semester
2500246 Philosophy	FB	1	2

The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:: Oriol Farrés Juste
Email:: Oriol.Farres@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:: catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:: No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:: No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:: No

Prerequisites

Reading of philosophical texts is a subject of 6 ECTS considered of basic and compulsory formation of the first year of the degree in Philosophy, which will take place during the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year, therefore, no requirement is required.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The general objective is for the students to first learn to detect classical philosophical problems, becoming familiar with the different styles of philosophical texts. The specific objective is to understand the texts in all their richness, thanks to detecting the main problem, know how to contextualize it in the historical tradition of philosophy, analyze the concepts and the specific philosophical terminology used and develop a reasoned critical argument of subjunctive conflicts

The ultimate goal is to provide the student with philosophical tools that allow him/her an autonomous thought that opens the doors to the development of new critical perspectives of the philosophical present. And to do it through the reading, analysis and critical reflection of a series of fundamental texts of the history of philosophy.

At the end of the course, the student must be able to:

1 Appropriating the specificity of a philosophical reading.

2 Acquire the ability to analyze philosophical terminology.

3 Develop a current critical thinking from the rigorous ideas that accompany it.

4 Know how to reflexively argue an autonomous philosophical critique

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 collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
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

Applying philosophical rigour in a written text following the international quality standards.
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 and analysing representative texts of the main genres of the philosophical literature.
Distinguishing the topics of philosophical relevance in current debates.
Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
Establishing relationships between science, philosophy, art, religion, politics, etc.
Explaining the specific notions of the History of Philosophy.
Expressing both orally and in written form, the issues and basic problems of the philosophical tradition.
Indicating and summarising the common content of several manifestations of various fields of culture.
Organizing their own time and work resources: designing plans with priorities of objectives, calendars and action commitments.
Reading basic philosophical text thoroughly.
Recognising and implementing the following teamwork skills: commitment to teamwork, habit of cooperation, ability to participate in the problem solving processes.
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.
Rewriting the stance of a typical philosophical author in a clear and precise manner.
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 specificity of this subject, Reading of philosophical texts, vertebra its contents through the reading of a series of philosophical texts that teach the first-year student to critically work some of the specific topics of philosophical knowledge. Therefore, the backbone of the course are the different reference texts. The first day of class will explain the work dynamics in the classroom and seminar groups will be formed.

Methodology

1. Theoretical classes: these are master classes in which the teacher will present the overall thought of the author of the text and will frame it within the history of philosophical thought. At the same time take the opportunity to comment on the fundamental characteristics of the text to be read.

2.Reading of the texts: it is necessary that the student makes a first individual reading of the texts that will be worked on in class collectively (the day indicated by the teacher), pointing out the ideas that he has understood and the difficulties he has encountered

3. Collective rereading in class of the most relevant fragments, or that have presented some difficulty, and discussion of key concepts. The teacher will guide the class based on the contents and doubts that arise from the reading made by the students.

4. Critical analysis of the fundamental ideas of the global text: the students will present in the classroom a critical analysis of the texts, an activity that will be valued, and which in turn will allow a collective discussion supervised by the teacher. The ability to argue clearly, ordered and with some difficulty will be assessed.

5. Critical thematic debate: the ability to substantiate the arguments themselves will be valued, as well as respect for the diversity of opinions, that is, they must be criticized with respect but with solid reflections.

* details, materials and dates of the various activities proposed throughout the course will be provided on the virtual campus.

Directed activities: They will be adapted, if necessary, in whatever percentage, to virtual teaching, through the various existing systems (Teams, narrated powerpoints, videos, podcasts, etc.).

Activities

Title	Hours	ECTS	Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed
Master classes	44	1.76	2, 12, 4, 5, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 8, 22, 14, 19, 15, 16, 21
Type: Supervised
Comment and guided discussions	10	0.4	2, 12, 4, 5, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 8, 22, 14, 13, 19, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21
Follow-up of written work	5	0.2	1, 2, 12, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 8, 22, 14, 13, 19, 16, 17, 21
Oral exposure monitoring	5	0.2	2, 12, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 8, 14, 13, 19, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21
Type: Autonomous
Concept work and terminology	30	1.2	1, 2, 12, 4, 5, 7, 6, 9, 10, 8, 22, 14, 13, 20, 19, 15, 16, 17, 21
Reading and commenting of texts	25	1	1, 12, 4, 7, 6, 9, 10, 8, 14, 19, 15, 16, 17, 21

Assessment

The evaluation of the subject will consist of four items:

Written tests (x2): Two synthesis activities throughout the course, which will consist of a questionnaire (50%) and a text commentary (50%), one in the middle of the course and the other at the end of the course.

The oral presentations: Identification, analysis and deepening by groups of a concrete thematic in the work of the author worked. The script presented and the realization of the exhibition in class will be evaluated.

The written work: A two-page review of one of the works worked on.

Final note: you must take all the tests to be evaluated. The final grade will be the result of the sum of all tests. The course will be approved from 5 out of 10.

The reviews of the evaluation activities will be done in class, in sessions designed for this purpose.

Recoveries: those students who have not passed some of the four tests, carried out or delivered in the established term can be presented. Only for major reasons (formally justified) will be able to present to the recovery those students that have not presented in or delivered some of the proofs of evaluation. In this case, the average mark must be higher than 3. In all cases, the student will be evaluated of the contents with a not passed.

Remember: in the event that a student has not been able to be evaluated in at least 30% of the tests of this subject, his / her file will include a NON-EVALUABLE one.

Plagiarism: In the event that the student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment act, this assessment act will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instructed. . In the event of several irregularities in the evaluation of the same subject, the
final grade for this subject will be 0.

In the event that the tests cannot be done in person, their format will be adapted (maintaining their weighting) tothe possibilities offered by the UAB’s virtual tools. Homework, activities and class participation will be done through forums, wikis and / or exercise discussions through Teams, etc. The teacher will ensure that the Student can access it or offer alternative means, which are within his / her reach.

Assessment Activities

Title	Weighting	Hours	ECTS	Learning Outcomes
Exhibition by groups	25%	10	0.4	1, 2, 12, 4, 5, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 8, 22, 14, 13, 19, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21
Written test 1	25%	3	0.12	1, 2, 12, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 8, 22, 14, 13, 20, 19, 16, 3, 21
Written test 2	25%	3	0.12	1, 2, 12, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 8, 22, 14, 13, 20, 19, 16, 3, 21
work	25%	15	0.6	1, 2, 12, 4, 5, 7, 6, 9, 10, 11, 8, 22, 14, 13, 20, 19, 16, 3, 17, 21

Bibliography

Texts

Plató (1986). Gòrgias. Barcelona: Bernat Metge.
Kant, Immanuel (1996). Polegòmens a tota metafísica futura que pugui presentar-se coma ciència. Barcelona:
Edicions 62.
Nietzsche, Friedrich (2011). El naixement de la tragèdia. Martorell: adesiara editorial.
Nietzsche, Friedrich (2011). Sobre veritat i mentida en sentit extramoral. Girona: Ela Geminada.
Wittgenstein, Ludwig (2001). «Conferència sobre ètica». Comprendre: Revista catalana de filosofia, [en línia], Vol. 3, Núm. 2, p. 59-66, https://www.raco.cat/index.php/Comprendre/article/view/57827 [Consulta: 25-06-2020].

Bibliography on the methods of reading philosophical texts
Olivier Abiteboul, Comprendre les textes philosophiques, París, L’Harmattan, 2008
Jacqueline Russ, Les méthodes en philosophie, París, Armand Colin, 2008
Philippe Choulet, Dominique Folscheid, Jean-Jacques Wunenburger, Méthodologie philosophique, París, PUF, 2003
Clare Saunders, David Mossley, George McDonald Ross, Daniele Lamb, Doing Philosophy. A Practical Guide for Philosophers, Continuum, 2008
Samuel Guttenplan, Jenifer Hornsby, Christopher Janaway, Reading Philosophy. Selected Texts with a Method for Begginers, Wiley Blackwell, 2002