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

• — To be able to read technical papers in analytic philosophy
• — Articulate technical discussions in logic and metaphysics
• — Exhibit an awareness of the divergence of philosophical traditions
• — Exhibit an awareness of the weaknesses of a philosophical tradition despite its technical profundity
• — Describe the different approaches to language, thought, and reality in analytic philosophy.