The module aims to help students develop their critical writing and argumentation skills by providing an insight into, and giving tools to analyze some of the main problems of philosophy.
This term, we will be investigating three philosophical topics:
What is the relationship between the mind and the body?
What is knowledge?
Is the most ethical choice the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number?
The module consists of seminars, each addressing a fundamental philosophical problem, and workshops where students can practice peer review by giving feedback to each other’s essays. Throughout the term, students will be encouraged to apply to essay writing competitions such as the International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO), the Baltic Sea Philosophy Essay Event (BSPEE) or the Dialexicon – these are great challenges to further practice one’s reasoning and concentration skills. Finally, students will also critically engage with the prize-winning essays of previous year’s essay-writing competitions.