Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Studies of Area III: Philosophy
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Students can contact the teachers at any time to comment on all the aspects they deem appropriate. You can also arrange a personal interview by sending an email to: jcasasampera@uic.es
Introduction
Area Studies III is aimed at reading philosophical texts. Throughout the course we will read several philosophical texts, trying to combine ancient and modern authors and always around a common theme, which will be the problem of the founding of knowledge: how do we know that we know what we know? In which ways knowledge, wisdom, ignorance, doubt, critic, science, sensation, perception, deduction, intuition, logic, opinion... are distinguished and related? We will observe how these concepts are present in different ways throughout the texts and the authors, as they allow us to think about the transition between antiquity and modernity. The subject thus has as its objective the in-depth reading of classics of philosophy, analyzing the text, the structure, the context of writing, etc. and see through philosophical texts some fundamental themes of thought. Likewise, the subject and the reading seek to provide tools for reflection and comment on the texts, also allowing their connection with debates and contemporary issues.
Pre-course requirements
There are no previous requirements.
Objectives
- Establish direct contact with original philosophical texts.
- Carry out the living practice of philosophical dialogue, in the form of a reading seminar.
- To be able to read philosophically the texts to discover in them the thought of the treated authors.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Students will be able to analyse and interpret imaginary and iconic, symbolic and representational language in the context of humanistic disciplines.
- CN02 - Students will be able to identify models and policies specific to different cultures and migratory groups, as well as their historical context.
- CP05 - Students will be able to analyse socio-cultural, historical and artistic structures, from a respect for the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, using language that avoids androcentricity and stereotypes.
- HB01 - Students will be able to reflect on issues of a cultural, social, scientific or ethical nature by interpreting relevant data.
- HB02 - Students will be able to convey information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- HB06 - Students will be able to plan tasks and projects in an organised and structured manner.
- HB08 - Students will be able to research different humanistic disciplines based on an analysis and comparison of relevant information.
- HB11 - Students will be able to critically analyse cultural and artistic representations, based on an understanding of their historical context, in order to develop an intercultural perspective and a deeper understanding of the contemporary world.
- HB13 - Students will be able to draw connections between data derived from observations and relevant theories, following data interpretation.
- HB17 - Students will be able to use data collection tools with a high degree of independence, such as library catalogues, archival inventories, documentary sources, electronic references and other resources.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- Have acquired the ability to read philosophical texts comprehensively and to establish conceptual comparisons between fragments of very different periods and authors.
- The art of philosophical dialogue will have been practiced, with a coherent language and an argumentative style, being able to expose a problem in its complexity and with the necessary nuances.
Syllabus
Reading of Plato's Meno.
Reading of Descartes' Metaphisical Meditations.
Reading of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason.
Reading of phenomenological texts from Husserl to Merleau-Ponty.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The methodology employed requires the continuous reading and active participation by the students in the sessions, which are organized as reading group or reading seminars.
The subject is called Philosophical Texts and it is presented as a seminar. The students will be required to read and prepare pre-programmed texts in each unit. Depending on the length of the text, a joint reading will be made and the contents will be discussed as a preliminary step to the presentation of the author's thinking. The session will conclude with a reasoned discussion of the exposed arguments.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Preparation of reading sessions: 30%
Evaluation by means of rapid tests: 40%
Individual text commentary work: 30%
[!] In the event that the teaching staff detects plagiarized work or a student copying during an exam, this will notify the Faculty Board which will take the relevant measures, including the automatic obtaining of a grade of 0.0 for that subject going directly to the next call.
Bibliography and resources
Plato, Meno
English translation.
Descartes, Metaphysical Meditations
English translation.
Kant, Critic of Pure ReasonEnglish translation.
Textos fenomenològics
[To be determined by Prof. Xavier Escribano]