Postgraduate Course: The Philosophy of Wittgenstein (PHIL11020)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | We shall consider the continuity of Wittgenstein's philosophy, with an emphasis throughout on his philosophy of language and its relation to the mind.
Shared with UG course The Philosophy of Wittgenstein PHIL10014.
For courses co-taught with undergraduate students and with no remaining undergraduate spaces left, a maximum of 8 MSc students can join the course. Priority will be given to MSc students who wish to take the course for credit on a first come first served basis after matriculation. |
| Course description |
We will consider the philosophical work of Ludwig Wittgenstein in this course, focusing especially on the period from his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus to his Philosophical Investigations. Apart from the details of Wittgenstein's philosophical positions in these two works, we will consider the continuity of his philosophy and his views on ethics.
We will not be discussing any of Wittgenstein's works after the Philosophical Investigations, including On Certainty nor his several remarks and writings on the philosophy of psychology.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 8 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 21,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
173 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One 2500 word essay due at the end of the semester.
Assignment deadline: Thursday 17th December 2015 by 12 noon.
Upper word limit: 2750 words maximum excluding references (2500 words with a 10% allowance)
Return deadline: Thursday 21st January 2016 |
| Feedback |
Students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay by week 6 deadline on Turnitin via Learn. The essay cannot be draft of summative essay but it can be on the same topic.
Formative essay deadline: Thursday 29th October 2015 by 12 noon
Return deadline: Friday 20th November 2015 |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- grasp and analyze central themes in Wittgenstein's philosophy
- identify and articulate problems in the interpretation of Wittgenstein¿s work
- assess Wittgenstein's reasons for the views he advocates
- grasp the nature of Wittgenstein's methodology in his work
- relate Wittgenstein's philosophising to that of historical and contemporary philosophers and evaluate Wittgenstein's contribution to modern philosophy
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Reading List
You will need to have regular access to the following two texts to participate in the seminars. Each will be abbreviated TLP and PI, respectively.
You should bring a copy to each seminar.
Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (London: Routledge, various editions). N.B. Two translations are available from Routledge, one by Ogden and one by Pears & McGuinness; either will suffice.
Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (Oxford; Blackwell, 2009, 4th edition). N.B. The 4th edition from 2009 is strongly recommended over other editions.
Syllabus
Week 1: Introduction
No advance reading required
Week 2: Tractatus
Sources: TLP 2-4.
Week 3: Ethics and Nonsense
Sources: TLP Preface, 5.5ff & 6.4-7; 'A Lecture on Ethics'
Week 4: Analysis and Philosophical Method
Sources: TLP 3.2-4.0311, 4.111-4.121, PI 46-64, 89-91, 109-133.
Week 5: Language-games, Ostensive Definition, Meaning as Use
Sources: PI §§ 1-88
Week 6: Rule-following I
Sources: Sources: PI §§ 138-9, 138n, 139n, 143, 145-7, 185-6, 198-202, 206-7, 217-219, 237, 240-242.
Week 7: Rule-following II
Sources: PI §§ 138-242.
Week 8: Private Language I
Sources: PI §§ 202, 237, 243-244, 246, 248, 253, 258-9, 265, 270, 272, 291, 293, 296-299, 304.
Week 9: Private Language II
Sources: PI §§ 237-293
Week 10: Psychology: Inner and Outer
Sources: PI 293, 304-308, 339, 350-362, 376, 398-401, 412, 246-247 & 585-587.
Week 11: Naturalism, Necessity and the Grammar of Forms of Life
Sources: PI 490-570 esp. 491-497, Part II.xii (4th ed. PPF §§365-367)
The supplementary reading list is available on Learn. |
Additional Information
| Course URL |
Please see Learn page |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Taught by Dr David Levy |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Theodore Scaltsas
Tel: (0131 6)50 3649
Email: Scaltsas@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lynsey Buchanan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5002
Email: Lynsey.Buchanan@ed.ac.uk |
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