Postgraduate Course: History of Analytic Philosophy MSc (PHIL11097)
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 | This course will cover the philosophical climate in which Frege, Moore, and Russell developed, their views on traditional philosophical issues, and the distinctive debates that arose within the emerging tradition.
Shared with UG course: History of Analytic Philosophy (PHIL10116)
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.
** Tutorials for PG students will happen on Friday 12.10 - 2.00pm in room 3.01 Dugald Stewart Building on weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. |
| Course description |
Towards the beginning of the twentieth century, a rich and influential tradition known as Analytic Philosophy emerged, which became predominate style of philosophy in the English speaking world. In this course, we will look at the early history of this movement, as reflected in the works of Frege, Russell, and Moore.
This tradition emerged from two trends. One trend was a rejection of the idealism that had become popular in philosophy in the 19th century. Idealism holds that the world is somehow dependent on our conception of it. Frege, Russell, and Moore each developed frameworks according which the world is objective, and is not altered by what we think about it. The other major trend was that philosophers sought to apply developments in logic and the study of language to traditional philosophical problems. Difficulties in understanding the foundations of mathematics led Frege and Russell to develop rigorous new ways of thinking about logic and language. These tools form the foundation of many developments in contemporary logic and linguistics. But Frege and Russell went beyond the investigation of logic, mathematics, and language. We will see how these tools were put to use in understanding the structure of human thought and the world it represents, and in resolving scientific puzzles.
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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 20,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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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.
Essay deadline: Thursday 17th December 2015 by 12 noon.
Word limit: 2500 words maximum
Return deadline: Thursday 21st January 2016 |
| Feedback |
- Postgraduate-only tutorials
-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:
- better understand the work of foundational figures in analytic philosophy: Frege, Russell, and Moore..
- better understand contemporary debates in metaphysics, philosophy of language, logic, and epistemology.
- locate contemporary debates in their proper historical context.
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Reading List
Week 1 core reading:
Berkeley, George: A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge §§1-6; §§22-3
Bradley, F. H.: Appearance and Reality Book 1: Chapters 2 and 3. Appendix B.
Week 2 core reading:
Moore, G. E.: 'Refutation of Idealism'
Week 3 core reading:
Russell, Bertrand: The Problems of Philosophy, Chapters 1-4
Week 4 core reading:
Moore, G. E.: 'Defense of Common Sense'
Moore, G. E.: 'Proof of an External World'
Week 5 core reading:
Frege, 'Concept and Function'
Week 6 core reading:
Frege, G.: 'Sense and Reference'
Week 7 core reading:
Russell, The Problems of Philosophy , Chapter 5
Week 8 core reading:
Russell, Bertrand: Problems of Philosophy, Chapters 6-10
Week 9 core reading:
Russell, Bertrand: Problems of Philosophy, Chapters 11-13
Week 10 core reading:
Stebbing, Susan: Selections from 'Philosophy and The Physicists'
Stebbing, Susan: Selections from 'Thinking to Some Purpose'
Background and advanced reading available on Learn. |
Additional Information
| Course URL |
Please see Learn page |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The course is taught by Dr Bryan Pickel. |
| Keywords | Frege,Russell,Moore,20th century philosophy,metaphysics,language,logic |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Bryan Pickel
Tel: (0131 6)51 5177
Email: bpickel@staffmail.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lynsey Buchanan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5002
Email: Lynsey.Buchanan@ed.ac.uk |
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