Outline

The aim of this course is to accelerate the development of the critical and presentational skills that are key to the successful study of philosophy. Students in small groups will meet weekly with a member of the academic staff to discuss an article of chapter of a book that has been specified in advance (below). In preparation for most meetings you will be asked to submit online an analytic précis of the piece in question and one of the participants will present theirs to the group for critical discussion. Assessment of the course will be on the basis of the quality of these outlines and an essay derived from one of them.

Aims

Having successfully completed this course students will be able to:

1. Present orally complex philosophical issues clearly and rigorously;
2. Critically and precisely evaluate philosophical texts;
3. Understand the relevance of philosophical investigation to issues of pressing moral and political concern;
4. Demonstrate an ability to write cogently and philosophically about a topic of contemporary relevance;

Structure

10 one-hour Tutorials.