Foundations of Philosophy and Ethics
Code: 106213 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Science, Technology and Humanities | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Aïda Palacios Morales
- Email:
- aida.palacios@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
None.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This course provides the student with the argumentative bases and the basic knowledge necessary to address some central issues and problems of philosophy and ethics.
The objective is for the student to acquire introductory philosophical knowledge, but also to develop the necessary skills to undertake the interdisciplinary study of science, technology and the humanities from a philosophical perspective.
Competences
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Identify the various philosophical, ethical and sociological conceptions of science and technology and recognise their evolution throughout history.
- Make critical use of digital tools and interpret specific documentary sources.
- Produce written papers and give effective oral presentations, adopting the appropriate register in different languages.
- 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 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.
Learning Outcomes
- Construct philosophical arguments with rigour.
- Correctly, accurately and clearly communicating the acquired philosophical knowledge in oral and written form.
- Explain aspects of philosophy and ethics using the terminology specific to the discipline.
- Express ideas in specific vocabulary appropriate to the discipline.
- Produce organised, correct discourse, oral and written, in the corresponding language.
- Recognise the ethical dimension of scientific and technical development.
- Recognise the principal philosophical debates on the nature of ethics.
- Search for, select and manage information independently, both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialist journals) and from the web.
- Use digital tools to collect, classify, analyse and interpret significant data related to philosophy studies.
Content
The course is structured in three sections:
1) Foundations of Philosophy and Ethics
- What is philosophy?
- Argumentation and opinion
- Goodness and happiness
- Responsibility
- Justice
- Freedom
2) Engaging with the world
3) Philosophy, ethics and science
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures | 30 | 1.2 | 3, 7, 6 |
| Practicum | 15 | 0.6 | 8, 2, 1, 5, 3, 4, 9, 7, 6 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials and work supervision | 4 | 0.16 | 8, 2, 4, 9 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Concept work and terminology | 35.5 | 1.42 | 8, 2, 1, 5, 3, 4, 9, 7, 6 |
| Reading and discussion of texts | 37 | 1.48 | 8, 2, 1, 5, 3, 4, 7, 6 |
In class, concepts and debates will be introduced, and texts will be commented on. It is essential that students come to class with the texts previously read.
As a supervised activity, students are expected to work in groups on a text and present it in class. Instructions will be given at at the beginning of the course.
Details, materials, and dates of the various activities proposed throughout the course will be provided on the Campus virtual.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final exam | 40% | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 5, 3, 4, 7, 6 |
| Group work on one text | 15% | 15 | 0.6 | 8, 2, 1, 5, 3, 4, 9, 7, 6 |
| Midterm exam | 20% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 2, 1, 5, 3, 4, 7, 6 |
| Oral presentation | 25% | 10 | 0.4 | 8, 2, 1, 5, 3, 4, 9, 7, 6 |
Continuous assessment
The evaluation of the subject will consist of four items:
- A text commentary and a questionnaire at the end of Section 1. The date will be set at the beginning of the course (20%).
- Group work on one of the texts: guidelines will be given at the beginning of the course. It will be necessary to hand it in before oral presentation (15%).
- Oral presentation based on the group work. Guidelines and schedule will be established at the beginning of the course (25%).
- Final exam: it will consist of a questionnaire and a text commentary (40%).
The final mark will be the result of the sum of all tests. Text commentary, group work and oral presentation cannot be reassessed. In order to pass the course, the final exam mark must be at least a 5; if lower, it will need to be reassessed.
At the time of each evaluation activity, the teacher will inform of the procedure and date for the revision of the grades.
Reassessment exam will be similar to the final exam.
Single assessment
The three tests will take place on the same day:
- Work on one of the texts (15%).
- Oral presentation based on the work done (35%).
- Final exam: it will consist of a questionnaire and a text commentary (50%).
The same recovery system will be applied as for the continuous assessment
Plagiarism
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.
Use of AI
This subject allows the use of AI technologies exclusively for bibliographic or content-based searches. The studentmust clearly (i) identify which parts have been generated using AI technology; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the
process and final outcome of the activity.
Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in the assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade may be lowered, or the work may even be awarded a zero. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.
Bibliography
Compulsory reading
To be indicated at the beginning of the course.
Bibliography on ways 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.
Reference Manuals
Bréhier, Émile, (1928) Historia de la filosofia y la ciencia, Madrid: Tecnos, 1998.
Châtelet, François, (1972) La philosophie et l'histoire, 8 Vol. V. Paris: Hachatte, 2000.
Copleston, Frederick., (2001) Manual de filosofia,9 vol. Barcelona: Ariel, 2011.
Geymonat, Ludovico, (1998) Historia de la filosofia y de la ciencia. Barcelona: Crítica, 2005.
Reale, Giovanniet. Al. (1983) Historia del pensamiento filosófico y científico, 3 Vol. Barcelona:Herder, 1995.
Dictionary
Ferrater Mora, Josep, (1979) Diccionario de filosofia, Madrid: Alianza, 1990.
Software
Not applicable.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |