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#Post#: 111--------------------------------------------------
recommended Course
DIR By: FadiElKadi
Date: August 8, 2012, 4:38 am
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Hi,
I am currently enrolled in the Diploma in Philosophy and I have
currently completed the Intro. to Philosophy course and I was
wondering which course to take next. In the handbook for the 1st
year BA in Philosophy they recommend Epistemology and modern
Philosophy. Wish of the two would be the best to start off with?
Any recommendations?
Thanks,
Fadi
#Post#: 115--------------------------------------------------
Re: recommended Course
DIR By: waveletter
Date: August 16, 2012, 12:32 am
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Hi Fadi:
I would recommend that you follow historical sequence wherever
possible. So, take the Modern Philosophy course next, if you
have to choose between it and Epistemology. (Actually, these two
go together quite well!)
The reasons for this, as I see it, are:
1. There are a number of "modern philosophy" questions in the
Intro texts, and on its exams, and your are following-up on them
in taking Mod Phil.
2. It's true that there are also some epistemological questions
in the Intro course, but you probably should have some grounding
in what earlier major thinkers in the Western tradition have
said before you try to answer them. In other words, you should
have already taken Mod Phil.
That being said, I could see that if you were averse to
Descartes, for example, or just hated reading Locke, and
preferred the modern debates, say with Moore on the external
world or with Gettier examples, then jumping forward to consider
20th century epistemological debates might be the right path.
But, again, I think that this is not the right choice. Go with
the historical order.
Sorry to have been so slow to reply; I've been distracted by
personal and work issues of late.
Anyone else with thoughts on this? Thanks & best of luck with
the rest of the programme! --Ron
#Post#: 116--------------------------------------------------
Re: recommended Course
DIR By: FadiElKadi
Date: August 17, 2012, 2:22 am
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Hi Ron,
Thanks for your reply.
Your recommendation makes sense, but choosing is a little
confusing since the new regulations define Epistemology as level
4 and Modern Philosophy as level 5, but then again they
recommend logic (level 4) after modern philosophy, go figure.
I will review and read quickly through the subject guide and try
to see what feels better.
Thanks again for your assistance.
Fadi
#Post#: 118--------------------------------------------------
Re: recommended Course
DIR By: waveletter
Date: August 20, 2012, 12:55 am
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Hi Fadi:
Oh my goodness, excellent point! I was thinking in terms of the
Old Programme.
It looks like UoL is diluting the content of the Epistemology
course and leaving the content of the Mod Phil course as it was.
I can't really confirm this, to tell the truth, because I don't
have access to the study guides for these courses. I only have
access to the study guide for Metaphysics, which exam I already
sat in May 2012, a couple of months ago.
I mean, epistemology is a fairly intuitive course. That's for
sure. But where the content took me, when I was studying this
module, was pretty far and pretty deep into the 20th century. I
thought that I could not appreciate modern issues without having
a background in what Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Reid said about
these things. (In never have cared for Berkeley.) Anyway, maybe
now that has changed with UoL's New Programme. It could be that
they are going to concentrate on issues related to Gettier
cases, foundationalism, coherence, knowledge through social
transmission, and so forth--which can be approached in a fairly
basic way--without presupposing a lot of the historical
intellectual clutter of the last 3 or 4 centuries.
Frankly, without having seen any of the new course guides, I
would say, unless you have a strong reason to proceed otherwise
(like I myself might have), go with a lower level course first.
I change my advice. London is probably composing the course work
so that this makes good sense.
(I've been taking philosophy courses on the side, at a local
state university here in the US. They have a strong historical,
descriptive, and comparative emphasis--not just Anglo-American
vs. Continental philosophy, but these compared with Asian and
African high culture as well. It could well be that my opinions
are polluted by their slant on philosophy. In other words, UoL
is more argumentative than descriptive in what they want. Hence,
my previous stance, that the historical course should precede
the dialectical course, is wrong for London.)
In any case, let us know how you work this out. It's a help to
all of us trying to figure what road to take next. Thanks! --Ron
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