Logic / Philosophy

Assessment

• Epistemology: What is knowledge? Can I know anything for sure? What is the nature of reality? Do my senses accurately describe reality? How do I form ideas? Are humans rational? Classic philosophers: Plato, Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, Hume, Berkeley, Russell and Gettier. • Moral Philosophy: What are morals? How do we use the language of ‘right and wrong’? Should I do whatever maximises pleasure (utilitarianism)? Is it my duty to obey moral absolutes (Kantian deontology)? How can human beings flourish (Virtue theory)? Is it justifiable to steal, lie, eat meat, and simulate killing (in games and films etc.)? Classic philosophers: Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Bentham, Mill, Moore, Ayer, Hare and Mackie. • Metaphysics of God: What is God’s nature? What is the relationship between eternity and time? Is the idea of God incoherent? Is it rational to believe in God? Classic philosophers: Plato, Anselm, Aquinas, Descartes, Leibniz, Hume, Paley, Ayer, Hick, Swinburne and Plantinga. • Metaphysics of Mind: What do we mean by ‘mind’? What is the relation between the mind and the body? Is reality only physical, or must we posit an immaterial mind to offer a full explanation of it? Classic philosophers: Descartes, Ryle, Jackson, Chalmers, Putnam, Churchland. You are examined by two written papers that include a variety of short-format and essay questions.