Science and Reason (V7080)

15 credits, Level 4

Autumn teaching

This module provides a grounding in contemporary analytic philosophy.

You will study the views of major philosophical figures such as Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, A.J.Ayer, Rudolf Carnap, W.V.O. Quine, Hilary Putnam and Tyler Burge.

Their ideas and theories address the following kinds of questions:

  • how we can talk and think about the world?
  • how can science provide knowledge of the unobservable world?
  • what role does reason play in our understanding of the world?

The module will equip you with a wide range of the fundamental concepts required to understand contemporary analytic philosophy. You will gain the skills necessary to tackle material that you will encounter in other modules over the course of your degree.

Teaching

45%: Lecture
9%: Practical (Workshop)
45%: Seminar

Assessment

100%: Coursework (Test)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 22 hours of contact time and about 128 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: