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2020/2021

Analytical Philosophy

Code: 100301 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500246 Philosophy OB 3 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:
Olga Fernández Prat
Email:
Olga.Fernandez@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

Alguns textos obligatoris del curs estan escrits en llengua anglesa.

Prerequisites

It is recommended to have studied History of Ancient Philosophy and History of Modern Philosophy.

Objectives and Contextualisation

            In this course one of the main schools of contemporary philosophy, the Analytical Philosophy, will be introduced. The Analytic Philosophy now encompasses a far wider range of approaches, ideas and positions than it ever did in its early days. This course will examine the origins of this tradition by closely reading primary texts from key figures, including Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, G.E. Moore, Rudolf Carnap, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Gilbert Ryle, and Elizabeth Anscombe. The purpose is to allow the understanging of this tradition form within, capturing what are the motivations that led to its development.You will develop an understanding of the methods and claims of analytic philosophy and be well positioned to participate in contemporary philosophical debates.

 

Competences

  • 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.
  • Placing the most representative philosophical ideas and arguments of a period in their historical background and relating the most important authors of each period of any philosophical discipline.
  • Recognising and interpreting topics and problems of philosophy in its various disciplines.
  • 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.
  • 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

  1. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  2. Carrying out a planning for the development of a subject-related work.
  3. Demonstrating a personal stance over a problem or controversy of philosophical nature, or a work of philosophical research.
  4. Discriminating the features that define the writer's place in the context of a problem and reorganising them in a consistent diagram.
  5. Distinguishing and outlining the fundamental content of a philosophical text.
  6. Distinguishing the topics of philosophical relevance in current debates.
  7. Expressing both orally and in written form, the issues and basic problems of the philosophical tradition.
  8. Mastering the relevant languages to the necessary degree in the professional practice.
  9. Reading basic philosophical text thoroughly.
  10. Reading thoroughly philosophical texts of the History of Philosophy.
  11. Recognising, with a critical eye, philosophical referents of the past and present and assessing its importance.
  12. Relating the various orders of the philosophical ideas of different authors and historical moments.
  13. Solving problems autonomously.
  14. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  15. Summarising the topics and arguments exposed in a classical philosophical debate.
  16. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.

Content

1. What is Analytic Philosophy?

2. Frege: The Mathematical Background to Analytic Philosophy.

3. The revolt against idealism: Moore and Russell.

4. Russell: Philosophy of logic and methological issues. 

5. Moore: The Cambridge School.

6. Wittgenstein: The linguistic turn.

7. The Viena Circle: Carnap.

8. Quine, Putnam, Kripke: més enllà del gir lingüístic.

 

Methodology

 

Directed activites follow the methodology of learning based on the resolution of problems. There will be two types of activities:

 

a) Lectures and discussion of problems related to the subject.

b) Argumentation practice in the classroom through the programmed readings.

 

The student will have to read texts that will be discussed  in such a way that the main ideas and the internal relations of the text are captured. Participation in class will be encouraged so that the student acquires the assigned competences.

The theoretical and practical classes will alternate throughout the course.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Discussion in class of required readings. 15 0.6 1, 4, 8, 2, 7, 16, 14, 12, 13
Lectures. 45 1.8 4, 6, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Supervised      
Preparation of presentations/written papers. 25 1 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 2, 7, 16, 9, 10, 14, 11, 12, 15
Resolution of doubts. 13 0.52 8, 9, 10, 15
Type: Autonomous      
Required and supplementary readings. 30 1.2 1, 4, 6, 5, 8, 2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15

Assessment

The total score will be based on:

(i) The score obtained in a written test about topics 1 to 4 and their required readings. (40% of the final score).

(ii) The score obtained in a presentation and its script (30%). Each of you will choose one analytic philosopher from the 20th century of a list. You will read at least one piece written by your chosen philosopher, explain the content to the audience, and research the relationship to their contemporaries. You will prepare a 15 minute presentation on your philosopher and deliver the script of the presentation. The guidelines for writing the script will be available in Campus Virtual.

(iii) The score of a writen test about topics 5 to 8 and their required readings (30%).

In order to be suitable for the reevaluation, it is required to have scores of (i) and (ii) at least. The activity (ii) cannot be reevaluated.

Students who do not have scores corresponding to the items (ii) and (iii) of the assessment will be considered as 'No Avaluable' students.

The examination and presentation dates will be announced through the student's institucional email.

Spell checking will be evaluated. The reiteration of spelling or grammatical errors (minimum four) will involve a penalty of 10% of the mark of the test performed.

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
Examination on topics 1 to 4 and their required readings. 40% 1.5 0.06 1, 3, 4, 6, 2, 7, 16, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
Examination on topics 5 to 8 and their required readings. 30% 1.5 0.06 1, 3, 4, 6, 5, 2, 7, 16, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
Presentation. 30% 19 0.76 1, 3, 4, 6, 5, 8, 2, 7, 16, 9, 10, 14, 11, 12, 13, 15

Bibliography

1. Required readings (you will find in Campus Virtual).

2. Books:

Maria Ponte Azcárate, David Pérez Chico i Moisés Barroso (ed.), Pluralidad de la filosofía analítica, Madrid: Plaza y Valdés, 2007.

Hans-Johann Glock, What is Analytic Philosophy?, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Steven D. Hales, Analytic Philosophy: Classic Readings, Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc, 2001.

Javier Muguerza, La concepción analítica de la filosofía, Alianza, 1974.

León Olivé, L. (ed.), Racionalidad. Ensayos sobre la racionalidad en ética y política ciencia y tecnología, s.XXI, 1988.

Scott Soames, The Analytic Tradition in Philosophy, Princeton University Press, 2014.

Web links:

Stanford Enciclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/