BSc: Philosophy II
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Philosophy 2: Knowledge and Perception
- Course name: Philosophy 2: Knowledge and Perception
- Code discipline: n/a
- Subject area: n/a
Short Description
This course covers the following concepts: Rationalism; Empiricism; Deductive Reasoning; Inductive Reasoning; Empirical Science; Applications of the Rationalism vs Empiricism debate in Modern Science; Scientific Methodology.
Prerequisites
Prerequisite subjects
Prerequisite topics
Course Topics
| Section | Topics within the section |
|---|---|
| Basic Concepts and Ideas |
|
| Reasons versus the Senses in the Development of the Scientific Method |
|
| Internalism versus Externalism in Psychology and Neuroscience |
|
| Synthesis |
|
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
What is the main purpose of this course?
The main goal of the course is to give students a historical overview of the two main philosophical traditions (rationalism based on deductivism and empiricism based on inductivism) that fought one against the other in the history of human thought. A secondary goal of the course is to provide students with an informed understanding of the principles underlying the scientific method as well as a grasp of the concept of empirical science. A third goal of the course is to offer students a general awareness of how the battle between rationalism and empiricism has unfolded in our century beyond philosophy, in psychology and neuroscience.
ILOs defined at three levels
Level 1: What concepts should a student know/remember/explain?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- the basics of Plato’s epistemology
- the basics of Aristotle’s epistemology
- the basic tenets of rationalism
- the basic tenets of empiricism
- the Kantian synthesis
- the difference between deduction and induction
- the idea of empirical science
- the principles of the scientific method
Level 2: What basic practical skills should a student be able to perform?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- what is epistemology and why it is important
- the difference between internalist and externalist accounts of cognition
- how science progresses
- how philosophy influences science
Level 3: What complex comprehensive skills should a student be able to apply in real-life scenarios?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- computer science
- engineering
- robotics
Grading
Course grading range
| Grade | Range | Description of performance |
|---|---|---|
| A. Excellent | 85-100 | - |
| B. Good | 75-84 | - |
| C. Satisfactory | 60-75 | - |
| D. Poor | 0-59 | - |
Course activities and grading breakdown
| Activity Type | Percentage of the overall course grade |
|---|---|
| Final Exam (Oral) | 30 or 15 |
| Video Presentations | 30 |
| Participation/Attendance | 40 |
Recommendations for students on how to succeed in the course
Resources, literature and reference materials
Open access resources
- Nagel, J. (2014). Knowledge: A very short introduction. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press
- Pritchard, D. (2018). What is this thing called knowledge?. London, UK: Routledge.
- Ladyman, James. Understanding philosophy of science. Psychology Press, 2002
- Barnes, J. (2000). Aristotle: A very short introduction (Vol. 32). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Closed access resources
Software and tools used within the course
Teaching Methodology: Methods, techniques, & activities
Activities and Teaching Methods
| Learning Activities | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homework and group projects | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Reports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Oral polls | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Discussions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Development of individual parts of software product code | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Formative Assessment and Course Activities
Ongoing performance assessment
Section 1
| Activity Type | Content | Is Graded? |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What is the Allegory of the Cave and why is it important? | 1 |
| Question | Explain the difference between Innatism and Empiricism | 1 |
| Question | What does the doctrine of recollection say? | 1 |
| Question | Explain Aristotle’s theory of causation | 1 |
| Question | Discuss in groups the major difference between Plato's and Aristotle's systems of knowledge | 0 |
| Question | Describe the Metaphor of the Divided Line | 0 |
| Question | Explain the differences between episteme, techne, and phronesis | 0 |
Section 2
| Activity Type | Content | Is Graded? |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What do rationalism and empiricism have in common (if anything)? And how do they differ? | 1 |
| Question | What are the main arguments against rationalism | 1 |
| Question | What are the main arguments against empiricism? | 1 |
| Question | What are the principles of the Scientific Method? | 1 |
| Question | Why is Kantian epistemology so important? | 1 |
| Question | Are you a rationalist or an empiricist? | 0 |
| Question | Do you agree with Descartes’ cogito argument? | 0 |
| Question | Do you believe the senses can get us to real knowledge? | 0 |
Section 3
| Activity Type | Content | Is Graded? |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What is the difference between Internalism and Externalism? | 1 |
| Question | Describe the basic principles underlying internalist theories of cognition | 1 |
| Question | What are the basic principles underlying externalist theories of cognition? | 1 |
| Question | What are the implication for the debate between Internalism and Externalism for modern science? | 1 |
| Question | Critically discuss the claim that ‘cognition isn’t all in the head’. Do you agree/disagree with it? Provide a philosophical argument for your answer | 0 |
| Question | What is cognition for embodied cognition theorists? Compare that notion with the notion of cognition defended by internalists | 0 |
| Question | What are the methodological morals proposed by embodied cognition theorists and what vision of science does it seem to favour? | 0 |
Section 4
| Activity Type | Content | Is Graded? |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Is cognition wholly internal? | 1 |
| Question | What role, if any, do representations play in science? | 1 |
| Question | What is computationalism and why has it been for the development of science? | 1 |
| Question | What are the principles of the Scientific Method? | 0 |
| Question | Internalism/Externalism: which of these positions do you think best account for the development and evolution of our minds and hence for the development of our best epistemic theory? | 0 |
| Question | Should we give up computation? | 0 |
| Question | Why one can argue that Aristotle is a precursor of Empiricism? | 0 |
Final assessment
Section 1
- How do we acquire knowledge according to Plato?
- What are the ways to discover Forms, according to Plato?
- What is the ultimate source of knowledge in Plato's theory?
- What are the elements of Plato's theory of knowledge?
- How do we acquire knowledge according to Aristotle?
- What is the ultimate source of knowledge for Aristotle?
- What are the elements of Aristotle's theory of knowledge?
Section 2
- What is Rationalism?
- What is Empiricism?
- Why do you think Rationalism and Empiricism are so Important? Reflect on the role they played in the history of human thought
- What is Deduction and what is Induction?
- Describe and explain the Kantian synthesis
Section 3
- Do you agree that the concept of embodiment is important for research conducted in science?
- It has been argued that human cognition can extend across the skin and skull of an organism so as to encompass as proper constitutive parts body-environmental loop
- How the Extended Mind Thesis relate to other embodied cognition theories?
Section 4
- Why one can claim that Plato is a precursor of Rationalism?
- Explain why we can say that Descartes established modern philosophy
- What is dualism and why is it important?
- Why can we say that the Kantian synthesis allowed us to overcome dualism?
The retake exam
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4