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2020/2021

Master's Degree Dissertation

Code: 43838 ECTS Credits: 12
Degree Type Year Semester
4316227 Applied Philosophy OB 0 A
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)

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The objectives are to develop individually, and with the guidance of a tutor, a specific research work on some of the contents worked on in the framework of master's studies. The work will be defended in a public session before an evaluation tribunal, formed by three professors of the master's degree.

Competences

  • Analyze critically and synthesize information obtained from an article or a specialized monograph, and from quality information distributed on the web.
  • Classify in a systematic and revealing way the various manifestations of contemporary art, especially those associated with new traditions and media.
  • Define, design, plan and prepare an original and unpublished work of philosophical research, following established academic-scientific parameters.
  • Establish and apply the implications that scientific knowledge and research have for advanced philosophical research.
  • Organize one’s own time and resources to undertake research: design a plan by prioritizing objectives, schedules and commitments.
  • Relate the concepts and knowledge of the various areas of current philosophical research in relation to dependencies between science and technology, and the ethical and political implications of such dependencies.
  • Search for, select and manage information autonomously, both from structured sources (data bases, bibliographies, specialized journals) and from information distributed on the web.
  • Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  • Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze critically and synthesize information obtained from an article or a specialized monograph, and from quality information distributed on the web.
  2. Apply the different fields indicated and relate them to each other in order to draw up an accurate concept map.
  3. Establish the connection with scientific and technological knowledge and its influence on society when writing up the project.
  4. Establish the implications of findings with regard to understanding the human condition.
  5. Organize one’s own time and resources to undertake research: design a plan by prioritizing objectives, schedules and commitments.
  6. Search for, select and manage information autonomously, both from structured sources (data bases, bibliographies, specialized journals) and from information distributed on the web.
  7. Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  8. Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
  9. Write a master's dissertation with conceptual findings that are precise and significant.

Content

Content
The TFM consists in the writing of an original and unpublished research work, in which a contemporary philosophical problem is addressed and analyzed. The student will have to describe this problem and the theoretical framework or the theoretical frameworks in which they are presented, showing a rigorous knowledge of the subject and a critical attitude. He will have to demonstrate his ability to clearly define philosophical concepts, synthesize discussions and use arguments. It will be valued that the student enters into discussion with the most significant theoretical proposals in this regard. Likewise, the student must demonstrate that he dominates the philosophical writing, which exposes his knowledge clearly and in an orderly manner, which he knows to correctly cite the studied texts, which makes an appropriate use of footnotes and who knows how to compile the used bibliography. Priority will be given to the discussion regarding the challenges that are posed in relation to art, politics and science, with an explicit reference to them, as broad theoretical areas that cluster the practices of individuals and societies.
The search and the results of the same must be individual and original. Each time you take an idea or information that has not produced one, you must mention its origin. This practice is essential and essential for two reasons: the honest student or researcher recognizes ideas that are not his; otherwise he would be committing plagiarism. It offers its readers the possibility to go to the original sources in order to contrast the information or to complete it.

TFM will not be evaluated if they do not mention bibliographical references in the appropriate way.The cases of plagiarism will imply the automatic suspense of the TFM. (http://www.plagiarism.org/):
present the work of others as its own; adopt words or ideas from other authors without due recognition (that is, without citing);not to use quotation marks in a literal quotation;give incorrectinformation about the true source; the paraphrasing of a source without mentioning the source (that is, without citing); the abusive paraphrashing, even if the source is mentioned.

Formal requirements
In order to ensure a calibrated presentation of the research, the following formal requirements are established:


-Regarding the number of pages of the TFM, papers that have between 60 and 100 pages will be accepted, including the annexes;

-Regarding the sections that the TFM must include and by virtue of which its contents are to be organized, they include:


(a) introduction or methodological chapter: exposition and justification of the problem raised, of the methodology
used, of the position or theoretical enactment adopted, and of the discussion or debate in which the problem acquires
relevance;
(b) central body of the TFM: chapters and subchapters (elaboration and theoretical development of the problem in constant
dialog with relevant bibliography);
(c) conclusions: where the results of research are manifested;
(d) bibliography: texts that have been quoted and / or consulted for the elaboration of the TFM, avoiding,
preferably, the list organized according to the alphabetical order and without discrimination or criterion relevant to the
research results;
(e) annexes: images, fragments of texts and other significant documents for research.
In accordance with the competencies assumed by passing the credits corresponding to the module
of the TFM, students are expected to achieve the following learning outcomes:
-Relate the concepts and knowledge of the different areas of current philosophical research, especially
philosophy of art, political philosophy and philosophy of science, elaborating a precise conceptual map.
-Define, design, plan and elaborate a philosophical, original and unpublished research work, according to the international standards of quality.
- Criticallyevaluate the implications on the human condition of the new ideological, political forms
economic and technologies that act in the contemporary world. Establish the implications of the results
shown to understand the human condition.
-Evaluate the implications that knowledge and scientific research have on advanced philosophical research. Write the essay establishing the connection with scientific and technological knowledge and its social influence.

Procedure and calendar
The module of the TFM organizes two obligatory sessions of work for all the students. In the first of them, which will take place in January, the students will present the TFM proposal, indicate their preferences with respect to their tutor, and will present the bibliography to be used and their work plan. Likewise, they can take the opportunity to raise and share with the other students both aspects of the work in which they have already advanced, as well as the doubts that are presented to them. At the second meeting, which will take place in April, students will present the state where their work is located, and they will have the opportunity to share with their teachers and other students, both their progress, and the problems that have been found. If the students consider it necessary, in addition more sessions of this kind can be organized throughout the course.

Apart from these two compulsory sessions organized by the module of the TFM, the writing work of the TFM will be carried out by the student with the guidance of a tutor. The preparation of the TFM will be governed by the following procedure and calendar:


(a) Choice of subject and tutor (deadline: first meeting in January)
The subject of the TFM will be related to the contents of the current modules and / or lines of research, so that it can be tutored (or, exceptionally, and after approval of the master's and module coordination, co-tutored) by one of the teachers of the master's degree The deadlines fortheir approach will be determined according to the tutor.

(b) Bibliography meeting (deadline: first meeting in January) The meeting of the bibliography is a guided task by the tutor, in accordance with the student's proposal and based on affiliation and / or theoretical position assumed for the development of the research. 

(c) Elaboration of the work plan (deadline: first meeting in January) The elaboration of the work plan requires the supervision and correction of the tutor, who will establish with the student the terms of compilation of the material, analysis and textual criticism, editing, correction (or corrections) and edition (or editions) of the monograph until it is completed satisfactorily.

(d) Corrections (second semester)
The final drafting and editing are the outcome of the process of analysis and textual criticism, and they need very close and accurate supervision. For this reason, they must be performed in parts, each one of which must be approved by the tutor, in order to control their appropriate insertion within the set. Reading all necessary drafts, and drafting amendments and suggestions by the tutor provides students with the tools to offer a finished and evaluable product.
The monitoring should include the print process of the TFM, so that both its presentation and the fulfillment of the terms assigned to the corresponding public defense reach their best.

Public defense and work evaluation (first fortnight of July or first fortnight of September)

In the public defense, the student will expose, in a time not exceeding thirty minutes, in the way and according to the interest agreed with the tutor of the work, the results of the investigation before a commission formed by three teachers of the master's degree (excluding the tutor). Exceptionally, the possibility of the inclusion in this commission of teachers outside the master's degree is considered, with sufficient qualification to evaluate the work. After the exhibitionof the results of the investigation, each of the members of the commission will present, for not more than thirty minutes, the observations that are considered necessary in relation to the work, taking into account the general criteria established for its approval, which are: Proper delimitation of the problem and contextualization in the contemporary philosophical debate; Organic and balanced structuring of the contents; Exposure originality, clarity and rigor; argumentative coherence; Critical solvency and relevance; Identification and good use of bibliographic resources.
After the intervention of each of the members of the committee, the author of the TFM will take note of his observations and, in a final speech, will discuss, for not more than thirty minutes, with the members of the commission, to clarify and / or defend her contributions.
Finally, the commission will be closed to deliberate on the qualification of the TFM, in accordance with the qualifications that govern for the rest of the master's modules. In the case of obtaining a numerical rating between 9 and 10, the TFM can be proposed, if the commission considers this, as a candidate for Matrícula d'Honor. Given that the number of Honors that can be granted is strictly delimited by the university regulations, in the case that there are more TFM candidates of those who can finally obtain it, it will be the coordination of the module, together with the coordinators of the master's degree, who, in accordance with current regulations, propose and attribute this qualification to the work.

Methodology

The training activity of this module is the preparation of the TFM, an original and unpublished research work on some of the contents worked on in the master's degree.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Group meetings 7 0.28 1, 6, 5
Type: Supervised      
Elaboration of the TFM 291.5 11.66 2, 4, 7, 9, 3, 8

Assessment

The student will have to defend her TFM in front of an evaluation tribunal consisting of thre professors of the master's degree, as explained in detail in the "contents" section of this teaching guide.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Elaboration of the TFM and defense before a jury 100% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 6, 4, 5, 7, 9, 3, 8

Bibliography

The bibliography will be specific for each essay. The student will elaborate it with the tutor's guide.