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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Philosophy

Undergraduate Course: The Philosophy of Fiction (PHIL10153)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course will introduce and examine a number of philosophical issues raised by fiction, covering topics at the intersection of aesthetics and epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophies of language and mind.
Course description This course will introduce and examine a number of philosophical issues raised by fiction, covering topics at the intersection of aesthetics and epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophies of language and mind: the nature of fiction; whether fictional characters exist and if so, what they are; whether we can gain real-world knowledge from engaging with fiction; the problem of "imaginative resistance" (why we cannot 'suspend disbelief' on things like principles of morality when engaging with fiction); and the "paradox of fiction" (how can we, for example, fear Darth Vader when we don't believe he really exists), and whether we need a new psychological state (an 'alief' in Gendler's terminology) to solve it.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014) AND Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisite. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their PT and the course organizer before enrolling.
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  0
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 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 45 %, Coursework 55 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Essay preparation assignment 10% - 500 words
Essay worth 40% - 1600 words
Exam 45%
Participation 5%
Feedback Individual written feedback on assessments, in-class group feedback
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate core skills in philosophy, including interpreting and critically engaging with philosophical texts, evaluating arguments and theories, and developing one's own ideas in response to the issues discussed
  2. Acquire knowledge of the main theories of the nature of fiction and the nature of fictional characters and the main responses to the paradox of fiction and the puzzle of imaginative resistance
  3. Analyze the strengths and weakness of these theories and responses
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills In class students will learn critical thinking, analysis and evaluation; how to read and analyse challenging texts; how to evaluate and contextualise arguments within wider debates; how to articulate cogent arguments; how to discuss their own and others' ideas in respectful, productive conversations. Through the assessments, students will learn how to write clear and structured arguments; demonstrate an understanding of the materials; how to do research; how to manage time and workload.

Core skills gained or developed on this course:
Challenging own perspectives and assumptions; Critical thinking; Critical analysis and evaluation; Formulating original arguments and justifying it; Independence; Oral communication (discussion, debating respectfully, influencing); Academic reading skills; Research skills; Time management; Understanding broader perspectives; Workload management; Written communication; Writing clearly and concisely; Preparation, planning and organisation; Respectful discussion of others' ideas.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Stacie Friend
Tel:
Email: sfriend@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Joan MacKenzie
Tel:
Email: jmacken8@ed.ac.uk
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