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2020/2021

Modern Philosophy Seminar

Code: 100299 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500246 Philosophy OT 3 0
2500246 Philosophy OT 4 0
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:
Silvia de Bianchi
Email:
Silvia.DeBianchi@uab.cat

Use of Languages

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

Other comments on languages

The final essay and the written exams can be in English, Spanish or Catalan

Teachers

Silvia de Bianchi

Prerequisites

It is suggested to read a histoy of modern philosophy textbook, such as Ludovico Geymonat: Historia de la filosofía y de la ciencia (Barcelona, Crítica).

Objectives and Contextualisation

The course consists of the study of Kant's transcendental philosophy through comparison with previous systems. The course will shed light on the new aspects introduced by the author in the history of philosophy regarding the systems of Descartes, Newton, Spinoza, Hume, Locke and Leibniz. The course is based on the reading and commentary of the work 'Prolegomena to any future metaphysics' (1783) and on the partial reading of the 'Critique of Pure Reason' (1781/1787).

Competences

    Philosophy
  • Analysing and summarising the main arguments of fundamental texts of philosophy in its various disciplines.
  • 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.
  • Recognising the philosophical implications of the scientific knowledge.
  • 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.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  2. Carrying out oral presentations using an appropriate academic vocabulary and style.
  3. Distinguishing and analysing representative texts of the main genres of the philosophical literature.
  4. Documenting a philosophical issue and contrasting its sources.
  5. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  6. Indicating and summarising the common content of several manifestations of various fields of culture.
  7. Judging the moral impact of new technological developments on humans.
  8. Mastering the relevant languages to the necessary degree in the professional practice.
  9. Organizing their own time and work resources: designing plans with priorities of objectives, calendars and action commitments.
  10. Recognising and implementing the following teamwork skills: commitment to teamwork, habit of cooperation, ability to participate in the problem solving processes.
  11. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  12. Summarising the topics and arguments exposed in a classical philosophical debate.
  13. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.

Content

THE KANTIAN REVOLUTION: 'PROLEGOMENA TO ANY FUTURE METAPHYSICS'

The subject is organized in three blocks:

1. Block 1: Introduction to the new system: Space and time. Reference texts: Critique of pure reason and Prolegomena.

2. Block 2: Categories and schematism. Reference texts: Prolegomena and Critique of pure reason.

3. Block 3: Transcendental dialectic: The ideas and the concept of system in Kant's philosophy. Reference texts: Prolegomena, Critique of pure reason.

Methodology

Lectures consist of the exposition and discussion of Kant's texts. Interventions by the professor and the participating students are planned, following a reading order coinciding with the chronology of the chapters of the Prolegomena treated. The dynamics of the subject make it necessary to read the texts outside the class hours which will then be treated in the classroom. Guided activities (classroom theory classes) can be adapted, if necessary, to virtual teaching, through the various existing systems (Teams, narrated powerpoints, videos, podcasts, etc.).

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classes 45 1.8 3, 4, 5, 12
Type: Supervised      
Preparation of oral exposition and written essay 22.5 0.9 1, 3, 4, 8, 5, 11, 12
Type: Autonomous      
Selected readings 75 3 1, 3, 4, 8, 5, 12

Assessment

The evaluation will be based on four activities: three partial exams (2 written and 1 oral presentation) distributed throughout the course, at the end of each thematic block. The value of each exam is 15%.
The fourth activity is a written work on a topic of the subject, delivered at the end of the course. Its weighted value is 45%. Each written work may be retrieved after each grade review. Appropriate use of methodology (background research, philosophical language, bibliography, etc.) is valued as 10%.
On the date set by the dean's office, the exams will be retaken through a final exam, with a weighted value of 60%. To be assessable, you must take a minimum of 70% weighted assessment activities.

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.

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.

The student will receive the grade of ‘No avaluable’ as long as s/he has not completed more than 30% of the assessment activities.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final essay 45% 3 0.12 1, 4, 8, 13, 5, 11, 12
Methodology 10% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 9, 10
Partial exams 45% 3 0.12 6, 3, 13, 5, 7, 11, 12

Bibliography

Bibliography

A. Fonts

L’edició crítica dels textos del curs es troban a la Biblioteca d'Humanitats de la UAB:

Kant's gesammelte Schriften (KGS)/ herausgeben von der Königlich Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Berlin: Georg Reimer, 1907-).

 

A1. Edicions electròniques de les fonts

Totes les obres de Kant de les cuales tratarà el curs, es troban en alemany en format electrònic al sigüent enllaç:

https://korpora.zim.uni-duisburg-essen.de/Kant/

 

B. Traduccions (edicions utilitzades al curs)

KANT, Immanuel. Prolegómenos a toda Metafísica futura que haya de poder considerarse como Ciencia (Trad. Mario Caimi, edició bilingüe). Madrid, Istmo (1999). 

KANT, Immanuel. Critica de la razón pura (Trad. Mario Caimi, edició bilingüe). Iztapalapa, IEPSA (2011). 

KANT, Immanuel. Critica de la razón pura (Trad. Manuel García Morente). Madrid, Tecnos (2002). 

 

C. Biografies de Kant

Cassirer, E. Kant, vita y doctrina (Trad. Wenceslao Roces). Fondo de Cultura Economica (1948).

Kuehn, M. Kant: a biography. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press (2001).

 

D. Estudis sobre Kant

ALLISON, H. El Idealismo trascendentalde Kant: una interpretación y defensa (prólogo y traducción de Dulce María Granja Castro). Barcelona, Anthropos 1992.

BAUM, M. Deduktion und Beweis in Kants Transzendentalphilosophie: Untersuchungen zur Kritik der reinen Vernunft. Köningstein, Athenäum 1986.

DAVAL, R. La Métaphysique de Kant: perspectives sur la métaphysique de Kant d'après la théorie du schématisme. Paris, PUF 1951.

GUYER, P. (Ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Kant's critique of pure Reason. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2010 (Recurs electrònic disponible a la UAB).

STANG, N. F. Kant's Modal Metaphysics. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2016 (Recurs electrònic disponible a la UAB).

STRAWSON, P. F. The Bounds of Sense: An essay on Kant's Critique of pure Reason. London, Routledge 1989.