Undergraduate Course: Me, Myself, and Other (Less Important) Subjects (PHIL10247)
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 | What am I? How is thought about myself different from thought about other things? What can the distinctive nature of first-personal thought tell me about the world? What can it tell me about my nature? Could I have been someone other than who I am? This course will address these and closely related questions in metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. |
| Course description |
What am I? How is thought about myself different from thought about other things? What can the distinctive nature of first-personal thought tell me about the world? What can it tell me about my nature? Could I have been someone other than who I am? This course will address these and closely related questions in metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. The aim is to understand how theories in different areas of philosophy interact and constrain what one might say across sub-disciplinary boundaries. Students should be prepared to analyze arguments and explore the consequences of various theories. The seminar will be discussion-oriented; students are expected to carefully study the reading material for each week and have a fairly determinate conception of its strengths and weaknesses for classroom exploration.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
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 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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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 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Summaries of readings 30% - 300 words submitted every two weeks (starting in week 3)
Essay 70% - 2500 words
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Students will develop an informed conception of the logical landscape in the ongoing debate about the nature of the self. Students will be able to more perspicuously represent core arguments and theses.
- Students will be able to integrate their existing knowledge in a variety of philosophical subdisciplines: metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language.
- Students will hone their writing and conversational skills in a rigorous yet supportive environment.
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Reading List
Elizabeth Anscombe, 'The First Person'
David Lewis, 'Attitudes De Dicto and De Se'
Thomas Nagel, 'The View From Nowhere'
Robert Stalnaker, 'Indexical Belief'
Robert Stalnaker, 'Our Knowledge of the Internal World'
Clas Weber, 'A Puzzle about First-Person Imagination' |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Skilled communication
Creative and critical thinking
Research and inquiry skills
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mahrad Almotahari
Tel: (0131 6)67 7290
Email: malmotah@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Joan MacKenzie
Tel:
Email: jmacken8@ed.ac.uk |
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