Undergraduate Course: Hegel's Phenomenology (PHIL10248)
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 is a course on one of the watershed texts of 18-19th century western philosophy, Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. The course will focus on carefully reading this book, attempting to make sense of its main themes, and appreciating their importance for the history of philosophy. |
| Course description |
German Idealism is often said to begin with Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and come to full fruition with Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. This is a text that is both dense in intricate detail and magisterial in its ambitions for fundamentally changing the way we think about who we are as people capable of knowing things about reality and acting for reasons. Because of this, the book has continuing relevance to many contemporary debates about the nature of logical thought, the capacity to know reality, the origins of morality, the possibility of historical progress, and the methods for answering philosophical questions. But it is also a text that is famously controversial for celebrating of the march of history, defending absolute idealism, and its challenging 'dialectical' and 'allegorical' modes of argumentation. The book has been interpreted and reinterpreted in each generation of philosophy since it was written, often in starkly different ways. Recent discussions include books by Brandom, Honneth, Pinkard, Pippen, McDowell, Rödl, Rorty, Stern, Taylor, and Zizek. In this course, we won't emphasise much secondary literature but focus instead on carefully reading and attempting to make sense of the primary text. Students will gain an appreciation of its main themes and their importance to philosophy. Students will also refine their skills in interpreting and writing about a challenging text from the history of philosophy.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017) AND
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Please note: 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 Student Adviser and the course organiser before enrolling.
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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. |
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 1 |
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
30 %,
Coursework
70 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Exam 30%
Essay 60% - 2500 words
Participation (in weekly class discussions) 10% |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the main themes and methodology in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit.
- Clearly explain and defend an interpretation of a passage from a historical philosophical text.
- Engage in advanced UG-level discussion of a challenging theoretical text.
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Reading List
G. W. F. Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, translated by Terry Pinkard, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course will contribute to student's development as critical and reflective thinkers and skilled communicators. They will exercise and enhance their skills in critical reading and enquiry into challenging questions. They will hone their skills in communicating complex ideas orally and in writing. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Matthew Chrisman
Tel: (0131 6)50 3648
Email: matthew.chrisman@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Joan MacKenzie
Tel:
Email: jmacken8@ed.ac.uk |
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