This unit explores the fundamental philosophical questions which inform the whole of reality: What is existence? What is real, and what is merely appearance? What is the relation between being and becoming? What are universals? What is change? How can something change and yet remain itself? What is the relationship between freedom and determinism? It will consider the ideas of key thinkers, ancient, medieval and modern, and examine the relevance of metaphysics today.
Unit Code: AP9220C
Points: 24.0
Unit Level: Postgraduate Elective
Unit Discipline: Philosophy
Delivery Mode: Face to Face
Proposing College: Catholic Theological College
Show when this Unit is running| 1. | Elucidate the conceptual framework that constitute a philosophy of first principles |
| 2. | Expound the fundamental ideas, positions and arguments of the thinkers who undertake metaphysical enquiries, and interrelate them as appropriate |
| 3. | Compare ideas, positions and arguments on themes that are found in more than one of the thinkers studied in the unit |
| 4. | Evaluate and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the major approaches to thinking about first principles, as considered in the unit |
| 5. | Appraise the conceptual frameworks and arguments of the thinkers studied in the unit – both singularly and in relation to one another where appropriate – in relation to the core themes examined in the unit |
| 6. | Develop a topic of research in a critically rigorous, sustained and self-directed manner |
30 points of philosophy at second level
Lectures, discussions, In-class exercises.
| Type | Description | Wordcount | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Option 1: 2,000-word essay 40% Exam Week 1,000-word skeleton argument 10% Week 13 4,000-word essay 50% End of semester OR Option 2 or 3 |
7000 | 100.0 |
| Essay | Option 2: 6000-word essay 90% End of Semester 1,000-word skeleton argument 10% Week 13 Or Option 1 or 3 |
7000 | 100.0 |
| Essay | Option 3: 2-hour examination 40% Exam Week 4000-word essay 50% End of semester 1,000-word skeleton argument 10% Week 13 Or Option 1 or 2 |
7000 | 100.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 20 Jul, 2017
Unit Record last updated: 2019-10-03 15:27:08 +1000