COURSE UNIT (MODULE) DESCRIPTION COURSE UNIT (MODEL) TITLE CODE INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (for students of Economics sphere) Lecturer (s) Coordinating: Dr. Andrius Navickas Department (-ents) Department of History of Philosophy and Logic Faculty of Philosophy Study cycle The level of Module The Type of Module First (Bachelor) Optional Mode of delivery Period when the course unit Language of instruction (module) is delivered Face-to safe and self- study Autumn semester English Prerequisites: No Requirements for students Additional requirements (if any): No Course (modeule) volume in credits Total students workload Contact hours Self study hours 5 133 48 85 Purpose of the course unit (module): programme competences to be developed The aim is to acquaint students with the philosophy as the phenomenon of Western culture, to reveal the transformations of tthe concept philosophy from Antiquity to postmodern times. One of the main thesis of the course: philosophy is not outmode way of thinking, though very important assistance to gain insight into the current debates in various spheres. The philosophy can help to sompensate the habits of specialized thinking ant to broaden the reasoning of the students both vertically and horizontally. The course will develop students understanding of Western values, their genesis and transformations.the students will be able to recognize various modes of reasoning, to investigate the issue from different perspectives. It is important that the course will stimulate the civic responsibility and competence of the students, though it helps to free themselves from social stereotypes. Learning outcomes of the course unit (module) Upon successful completion of this course, student will be able to: a) Use philosophical terminology correctly and consistently; b) Identify the mode of philosophical thinking and to recognize the main trends in the history of philosophy; c) Use the philosophical skills in her (his) professional activities. The course aims to foster critical thinking and reasoning skills. Upon successful completion of this course, student will be able more effectively to participate in discussions, to interpret philosophical text and accurate render content. Teaching and learning methods Interactive lectures, the practical use of socratic method. Discussions with students and discussions of students. Argumentative discussion during the seminars. The discussion on public presetations of the students. Special aaignments aim to enable student to test theoretical arguments in Assessment methods Final examination (4 openresponse questions). Continuous assessment (cumulative score methodology). The public presentation of the research work on some philosophical issue. The requirement: to analyse the issue form different philosophical angles. 1
Student will gain insight into debates that dominate the daily news, be able to realise the architecture of Western reason. practice. Argumentative discussions during seminars. Students are encouraged to formulate questions. The preparing research for philosophical essays. Philosophical essay (from 10000 to 15 000 signs.) 2
Contact hours Self-study work: time and assignments Content 1. The origins and nature of philosophy. The genesis of philosophical reasoning. Philosophy and religion. Philosophy and science. The concept of Theoria. 2. The different concepts of philosophy. Philosophy of nature: Presocratics. Philosophy as rhetoric. Philosophy and Socratic method. Aristotelian division of philosophy. Philosophy as therapy. Philosophy as the student of theology. Philosophy as the slave of science. Philosophy as disclosure of power. Lectures Tutorials Seminars Excercises Laboratory work Internship All contact hours Self study hours Assignments readings: K. Jaspers Way of Wisdom (p.3-49) readings: Douglas J. Soccio Archetypes of Wisdom (p. 519-550) Seminar: What does it mean to think? 2 2 3 Text: Pierre Hadot Philosophy as a Way of Life (p.147-177) to take part in discussion on it during 3. Philosophy and method. The methods of Socrates and Descartes: differences. The doubt of Augustine and Descartes: differences. Platonic and aristotelian styles in philosophy. Philosophy as method: rationalism, empiricism, Kant, positivism. Philosophy as the art of life. 4. The concept of nature in philosophy. Chaos and cosmos. The ancient concept of nature (phusis). The differences between the notion of nature in various periods of philosophy. Nature in the science of nature and social sciences. readings: Simon Blackburn Think (p. 8-24); Rene Descartes The Discourse on Method (p. 1-45) readings: Simon Blackburn Think (p. 233-269); Hans Gadamer The Beginning of Knowledge (p. 127-140) Seminar: Human knowledge and its limits. 2 2 3 Text for discussion: John Horgan The End of Science (p. 1-24) 3
5. Philosophy: metaphysical and postmetaphysical thinking. The quest of ground of being. Transcendence and immanence. God and philosophy. Ontology and epistemology. The revolution of Kant. The features of postmetaphysical philosophy. 6. Philosophy: ethics and athropology The distinction between good and evil. Eudaimonism. Nature and culture. Pleasure and obligation. Virtues and techniques. Ancient and modern eugenics. Biopolitics. readings: Leszek Kolakowski Metaphysical Horror (p.1-56) readings: Thomas Lemke Biopolitics (p.9-32) Seminar: Technological imperative and philosophy 2 2 3 Text for discussion: Michael Sandel The 7. Freedom and its limits. Finalism and determinism. The notion of free will and its dicontents. The concept of freedom in metaphysics, ethics, politics, theology and economics. 8. Free market economy. The origins of modern economics. Demand and supply. The notion of invisible hand. Philosophical justifications of various economical models. Case against perfection (p.1-24, 63-84) readings: John Stuart Mill On Liberty (p. 23-107). readings: Thomas E. Woods The Church and The Market (p.16-45) Seminar: Market and morality. 2 2 4 Text for discussion: 9. Philosophy and economics (I) Adam Smith and Karl Marx: two trends of modern economics. The idea of social market economy. The transformation of power in postmodern society. 10. Philosophy and economics (II) Michael Sandel and the moral limits of the market. Robert Sirico Defending the Free Market (p. 5-35) readings: Robert Heilbroner Worldly Philosophers. 4
Joseph Stiglitz and the new philosophy of economics. The notion of globalization and its implication to social philosophy. readings: Michael Sandel What Money Cant Buy ( p. 1-35) Seminar: The society of consumers 2 2 4 Text for discussion: Zygmunt Bauman Consuming Life (p.99-150) 11. Philosophy and politics. The idea of justice. The nature of the political community. Aristotelian notion of politics. The idea of social contract. Why does philosophy matters for politics? readings: Samuel Gregg An Ordered 12. Philosophy and law. The sources of the law. The idea of natural law. From natural law to natural rights and to human rights. The philosophical basis for human rights. Law and morality. Liberty (p.29-50) readings: Samuell Gregg An Ordered Liberty (p.51-68) Seminar: Legality and morality of political order 2 2 4 Text for discussion: Lon Fuller Morality of Law (p.33-94) 13. Philosophy: aesthetics The idea of beauty. What is the aim of art? The main trens in aesthetics. Roger Scruton about the degradation of modern art. 14. Philosophy and (as) literature The genres of philosophy. The philosophical claims of literature. Existentialism: writers or (and) philosophers? readings: Robert Solomon The Big Questions (p.345-362) readings: Jean Paul Sartre Existentialism is a humanism (p.15-45) Seminar: The Myth of Sisyphus and the Message of Existential Philosophy. 2 2 4 Text for discussion: Albert Camus The Myth of Sisyphus (p. 3-70) 15. Philosophy and language. 5
Linquistic Turn in Philosophy. Continental and Analytical Traditions. Wittgensteins two images of the language. 16. Philosophy and the Understanding of the Other. Hermeneutics as the art of understanding. Philosophical hermeneutics: the Gift of Tradition. The ideology as distortion. Philosophy as Disclosure. readings: Ludwig Wittgenstein Tractatus Logicus Philosophicus (p. 5-90) readings: H.G. Gadamer Reason in the Age of Science (p. 88-112) Seminar: What does it mean to be Philosopher? 2 2 4 Texts for discussion: Douglas J. Soccio Total 32 16 48 85 Archetypes of Wisdom (p.523-546); Pierre Hadot Philosophy as a Way of Life (p.264-276) To read the texts and Assessment strategy Weight Deadline Assessment criteria % Activities in the class 20 16 th week 100 percent excellent quality of involvement in discussion, ability to interpret creatively the arguments, ideas from the philosophical texts and textbooks. 0 percent student avoids discussion, can not answer any question, ignores the academic rules. Research and presentation 20 15 th week The presentation in the class the issue of philosophy from different angles. 100 percent clear and emphatic presentation of philosophers arguments, solid answers to the questions. 0 percent student have not prepaired the presentation; it was poor compilation from the web. Philosophical essay 20 15th week Written essay from 10 000 to 15 000 signs. Compulsary elements: introduction; arguments; conclusion; the list of used philosophical literature. 100 percent original presentation, clear structure, solid arguments. 0 percent student have not delivered essay or it was poor compilation. Exam 40 Session 4 open type questions, student must answer (in written form). Every question 25 percents. (Knowledge; argumentation; creativity). Author Year of public ation Title Issue of a periodical of volume of a publication Publishing place or web link Compulsary reading Simon Blackburn 2013 Think Oxford Paperbacks Hans G. Gadamer 2000 The Beginning of Knowledge Continuum (p. 127-140) Pierre Hadot 1999 Philosophy as a Way of Life Wiley-Blackwell 6
(p.147-177) Robert Heilbroner 1999 The Worldly Philosophers Toucstone Karl Jaspers 2003 Way of Wisdom (p. 3-49) Yale University Press Robert Solomon 2009 The Big Questions (p.345- Wadsworth Publishing 362) Douglas J. Soccio 2009 Archetypes of Wisdom Cengage Learning Optional reading Zygmunt Bauman 2007 Consuming Life (p.99-150) Cambridge: Polity Press Albert Camus 1991 The Myth of Sisyphus (p. 3- Vintage International Edition 70) Rene Descartes 1999 The Discourse on Method (p. Hackett Classics 1-45) Lon Fuller 1969 Morality of Law (p.33-94) The Storrs Lectures Hans G. Gadamer 2005 Reason in the Age of Science Lexington Books (p. 88-112) Samuell Gregg 2013 An Ordered Liberty (p.51-68) Lexington Books John Horgan 2015 The End of Science (p. 1-24) New York Perseus Books, Leszek Kolakowski 2001 Metaphysical Horror (p.1-56) University of Chicago Press Thomas Lemke 2011 Biopolitics (p. 9-32) New York University Press John Stuart Mill 2008 On Liberty and Other Essays Oxford Classics (p. 23-107). Michael Sandel 2007 The Case against perfection Cambridge: Belknap Press (p.1-24, 63-84) Michael Sandel 2013 What Money Cant Buy (p. 1- Farrar, Straus and Giroux 35) J.P. Sartre 2007 Existentialism is a Humanism Yale: University Press (p.5-45) Robert Sirico 2012 Defending the Free Market Regnery Publishing L. Wittgenstein 1988 Tractatus Logico London: Routledge Philosophicus Thomas E. Woods 2005 The Church and The Market (p. 5-35) Lexington Books 7