Undergraduate Course: Philosophy of Death and Dying (PHIL10192)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course investigates fundamental philosophical questions raised by human mortality, with special attention to the metaphysical nature of death, death¿s significance for human well-being, and ethical quandaries related to mortality. |
| Course description |
Mortality is one of the few universals of human life and thus raises philosophical questions important to all reflective individuals. This course surveys central topics in the philosophy of death and dying, including the possibility of surviving death, the desirability of immortality, the purported badness of death, the rationality of fear (and other attitudes) toward death, moral duties toward the dead, the nature and ethical significance of grief, and the ethics of suicide. The course also investigates concerns about death that arise in medical practice (for example, medically assisted dying and disputes regarding the criteria for declaring death).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Morality and Value (PHIL08015) AND
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017) OR
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students must have passed Morality and Value (PHIL08015) and at least one of Mind, Matter, and Language (PHIL08014) or Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017)
Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisites of Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their PT and the course organiser before enrolling. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 24 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
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) |
Midterm Essay 35% (1,500 words)«br /»«br /»
Final essay 60% (3,000 words)«br /»«br /»
Reflective course experience essay 5% (1,000 words)«br /»«br /»
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| Feedback |
Guidance will be given in advance of each assignment. This may be in the form of an in-class discussion, a handout, or discussion of a component of the assessed work. Instructor feedback on essay outline and peer feedback provides further formative opportunities ahead of final essay. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Outline influential positions and arguments concerning metaphysical and ethical issues raised by death and dying.
- Critically assess these positions and arguments, drawing their own reasoned conclusions about their defensibility.
- Relate disputes in the philosophy of death and dying to larger questions within various subdisciplines of philosophy (ethics, metaphysics, philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, etc.)
- Better articulate their own views regarding the significance of death and dying for their own lives and for humanity in general.
- Participate more meaningfully in larger societal conversations concerning controversies related to death and dying.
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Reading List
Representative Readings
Cave, Immortality
Cholbi, Grief: A Philosophical Guide
Cholbi, Suicide: The Philosophical Dimensions
Cholbi and Timmerman (eds.), Philosophy of Death and Dying: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives
Fischer, Death, Immortality, and Meaning in Life
Gawande, Being Mortal
Kagan, Death
May, Death: The Art of Living
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Mindsets: Enquiry and lifelong learning; Aspiration and personal development
Skill groups: Personal and intellectual autonomy; Personal effectiveness
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Michael Cholbi
Tel:
Email: mcholbi@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Peter Cruickshank
Tel: (131 6)50 3961
Email: peter.cruickshank@ed.ac.uk |
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