Assessment

Seminar Presentation 10%, oral exam 30%, final exam 60%

Module Aims

In this module we will be considering the foundations of analytic philosophy. We will begin by looking at how analytic philosophy became a distinct tradition in philosophy in the twentieth century. This will involve a consideration of the key writings of thinkers like Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Quine etc. Having done that we will proceed to observe the impact of such foundational thinkers in diverse areas of philosophy such as metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and ethics. We will end with a reflection on the status analytic philosophy today.

Learning Outcomes

• — LO1 Read and critically evaluate technical papers in analytic philosophy.
• — LO2 Evaluate technical discussions in logic and metaphysics.
• — LO3 Exhibit an awareness of and a judgement upon the divergence of philosophical traditions.
• — LO4 Assess the weaknesses of a philosophical tradition despite its technical profundity.
• — LO5 Critically evaluate the different approaches to language, thought, and reality in analytic philosophy.