Module Directory

Philosophical work involves dealing in arguments: assembling evidence in support of some conclusion. Such arguments are occasionally simple but often very complex; they are sometimes valid but they are often fallacious.This module functions as a kind of 'boot camp' intended to develop and hone the skills and methods required for university-level work in philosophy and related disciplines.

The primary aim of the module is to assemble and hone a set of tools for (a) the identification of arguments in philosophical prose (b) the representation of arguments in summaries, in argument-schemata and in symbolization (c) the assessment of arguments both for logical soundness and for rhetorical effectiveness (d) the formulation of effective arguments in the writing of essays and examinations. The module also provides opportunities for developing the distinctive skills involved in oral presentation of argument and navigating the ensuing debates.

The aims of this module are:

• To develop and hone the skills required for university-level work in philosophy and related disciplines.


• To introduce techniques of logical analysis.


• To develop the capacity to present and critically analyse arguments.


• To develop the capacity to use critical thinking reflexively.


• To develop the ability to produce university-level writing.

By the end of the autumn term, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Identify and articulate arguments as presented in philosophical and other forms of prose.


2. Have developed a range of skills for the assessment of arguments.


3. Identify informal argumentative fallacies.


4. Represent arguments using sentential letters and logical connectives.


5. Construct and interpret truth tables.


6. Have enhanced and developed their ability to write clear, forceful, argumentative essays in which arguments are presented and critically assessed, and in which a thesis is critically defended.

By the end of the spring term, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Have a developed understanding of contemporary and historical approaches to the problem of free will.


2. Identify both formal and informal fallacies.


3. Have gained familiarity with the basic concepts of formal logic, including the notions of validity, soundness, deduction, induction, logical form, disjunctive proof, conditional proof, reductio ad absurdum, conjunction, disjunction, quantification, bivalence, dilemma.


4. Be capable of constructing and assessing natural deduction proofs.


5. Have a basic understanding of the universal and existential quantifiers, and their role in logical argument.


6. Have enhanced and developed their capacity for philosophical analysis and argument through the study of what constitutes a valid argument.

Each year the module supervisor selects one or two philosophical topics to be used as target areas for argumentative analysis. These topics vary from year to year but will be selected so as to avoid overlap with other materials covered elsewhere in the first-year curriculum. Possible topics include: Can there be free will in a deterministic universe? What constitutes personal identity over time? What does it mean to follow a rule? How is self-knowledge possible? Students read a sampling of classic texts pertaining to the chosen topic to use as a basis for the primary skill-focused work of the module. In 2023-24, the topic will be: `Free Will`.

Coursework assignments will focus on skills of analysis and writing, and on the basic skills of elementary symbolic logic, including symbolization, construction of truth-tables, working of natural deduction proofs. Students will be given the opportunity to discuss their coursework, and will receive close feedback on essay-writing skills and methods. The module provides the opportunity for students to make brief oral presentations, but these will be neither required nor assessed.

Recommended reading
Watson, Free Will (Second Edition), (Oxford University Press, 2003).

This is an unusually work-intensive module, with weekly written homework assignments or logic exercises. It requires a high level of commitment from the students enrolled.

The module is open to students of all abilities. Whatever their starting point, intensive instructional support will be provided to help students achieve a `step-change` in their skills as they embark upon university-level studies in philosophy and related disciplines.

This module will be delivered via:

Autumn term

• One 2-hour lecture per week.
• One 50-minute tutorial per week.

Spring term

• One 2-hour lecture per week.
• One class per week.
• Two revisions sessions in the summer term.

Week 8 (Autumn Term) and Week 21 (Spring Term) are Reading Weeks; there will be no teaching events and no weekly assignments due in the two Reading Weeks.