| CODE | PHI3067 | ||||||||
| TITLE | A Critical Reading of Descartes Meditations | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Philosophy | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Rene Descartes' writings had a profound effect on the subsequent development of Philosophy in general and epistemology and the philosophy of mind n particular. The Meditations may be considered as the most important book in the Modern period in Philosophy and students will definitely benefit from a close and critical reading of it. Such topics as Descartes' mistrust of the sense as vehicles for the acquisition of knowledge, his use of universal methodological doubt to sweep away previously held prejudices, the dream argument and the evil demon hypothesis, the difference between certainty and truth, the 'cogito' as first principle in the construction of a stable philosophical system, body-mind dualism, reliance on God to guarantee knowledge of the external world, as well as ways and means of defeating scepticism, continue to feature prominently in contemporary philosophical debate. Study-Unit Aims: - introduce students to the philosophy of Descartes; - encourage students to critically engage with the philosophical ideas of Descartes; - allow students to explore questions related to knowledge, metaphysics and God in the philosophy of Descartes. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - explain clearly the context within which Descartes thought; - compare and contrast the most prevalent theories of modernity (empiricism); - critically engage with the Descartes' text so as to examine its presuppositions and contradictions. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: Specific skills: - independently read and understand the Meditations; - conduct independent research on the theories covered in class; - write short research papers on key issues in Descartes' philosophy. Transferable skills: - independently read and understand the Meditations; - be better equipped to discuss epistemological, metaphysical and other philosophical issues raised by Descartes. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Rene' Descartes, 'Meditations on a First Philosophy' trans J. Cottingham (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 1986. Supplementary Readings: - J. Cottingham, Descartes (Oxford: 1986) - B. Williams, Descartes: The Project of Pure Inquiry (Harmondsworth: 1986) - M. Wilson, Descartes (London: 1978) |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Joseph Friggieri |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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