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PH404U: SOCIAL ONTOLOGY: HOW WE MAKE THE SOCIAL WORLD (2024-2025)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 11:08


Course Overview

Social ontology is the field in philosophy that investigates the nature of the social world. Some questions addressed are: What are social groups? What is the role of language and attitudes in creating the social world? What is the nature of social categories and classifications? What, for instance, are race and gender? Are these features of the natural world or are they socially constructed?  The course will survey recent work in social metaphysics within the analytic and the continental tradition for thinking about these questions.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Term First Term Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Sandro Guli

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Either Programme Level 4 or Programme Level 5
  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

In this course, we will gain an insight into the ontology of the social world. We will first analyse the foundational issues of the field, drawing on the debate about the nature of collective actions and shared intentionality. Our focus will be on how social entities arise when people act together, sharing certain collective attitudes and linguistic practices. We will analyse and evaluate the arguments presented by J. Searle, M. Gilbert, R. Tuomela, and M. Bratman. In the second section of the course, we will turn our attention to a critical approach to the ontology of the social world and ask how power relationships can influence social categories and classification by reflecting on applied cases of gender, race, and class. Topics that will be studied include: the social construction of gender and race, bio-power and bare life. We will deal with the thesis defended by S. Hanslanger, J. Butler and G. Agamben.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Feedback will be provided via MyAberdeen’s SafeAssign system.

Word Count 3500
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandAcquire un understanding of the philosophical relevant literature to the topics
ConceptualUnderstandAcquire and demonstrate knowledge of the subject areas
ProceduralCreateLearn to frame arguments and to communicate arguments to a group of peers.
ProceduralEvaluateDevelop critical thinking skills
ReflectionCreateDevelop proficiency in written and oral communication skills

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Feedback will be provided via MyAberdeen’s SafeAssign system.

Word Count 3500
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandAcquire un understanding of the philosophical relevant literature to the topics
ConceptualUnderstandAcquire and demonstrate knowledge of the subject areas
ProceduralCreateLearn to frame arguments and to communicate arguments to a group of peers.
ProceduralEvaluateDevelop critical thinking skills
ReflectionCreateDevelop proficiency in written and oral communication skills

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Resit essay will be submitted online. Feedback will be provided via MyAberdeen’s SafeAssign system

Word Count 3500
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandAcquire and demonstrate knowledge of the subject areas
ProceduralEvaluateDevelop critical thinking skills
ReflectionCreateDevelop proficiency in written and oral communication skills
ConceptualUnderstandAcquire un understanding of the philosophical relevant literature to the topics
ProceduralCreateLearn to frame arguments and to communicate arguments to a group of peers.

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