From A to Zeno - An Introduction to Philosophy



Overview

Going right back to the Greek thinkers of the Classical period, this course will examine the major contributions to philosophy in Europe over the last 2,500 years.  Many important philosophical questions have occupied the attention of the greatest minds: Who or what am I? How did life begin? Is there a God? How ought I to live?  Answering these questions is, of course, very hard, perhaps even impossible.

This course examines the attempts of these thinkers to engage with such issues and look, not only at the theory of knowledge, but also philosophy's contribution to politics, morality, religion and science.

Programme details

Course begins: 25 Jan 2024

Week 1: The pre-Socratics and Socrates

Week 2: Plato

Week 3: Aristotle

Week 4: Rationalism

Week 5: Empiricism

Week 6: Enlightenment Philosophy

Week 7: Kierkegaard

Week 8: Nietzsche

Week 9: Heidegger and Sartre

Week 10: Wittegenstein, Ryle and Ayer

Digital Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Magnus Moar

Magnus Moar is a graduate of Oxford and Sussex Universities with a doctoral thesis focussing on the work of Kierkegaard.  Magnus has a published article on Kierkegaard and Levinas and has been teaching undergraduates for nearly twenty years.

Course aims

TR introduce students to the central concerns of the key philosophers and philosophical movements in Western Philosophy.

Course Objectives:

  • Enable students to grasp the fundamental issues at stake in epistemology and metaphysics.
  • Provide students with a sound knowledge of the progress of Philosophy through a chronological study.
  • Enable students to see the relevance of philosophical thinking for related disciplines.

Teaching methods

The sessions will be in a seminar format including both presentation of the key ideas and open discussion based around short extracts and articles. Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to give a short presentation as a part of their portfolio assessment.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • be able to discuss some of the major concerns of the philosophers studied;
  • develop their critical and analytical skills through the reading, the portfolio and the sessions;
  • enable a keener sense of inter-communication through group discussion.

Assessment methods

The assessment offers students a choice of either option A with two short assignments over the course or option B, with a single longer assignment.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

No previous engagement with philosophy is required.

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support