Philosophy 2
Philosophy 201 (PHI201) and Philosophy 202 (PHI202) aim at deepening our student’s understanding of historical and contemporary debates in metaphysics, epistemology and ethics started in PHI101 and PHI102. It might include specialised topics in, for instance, Philosophy of Mind, or Religion, or Moral Philosophy or Ancient Philosophy.
Philosophy 201
Entrance Requirements: any of the following configurations — PHI 101 AND PHI 102; PHI 101 (OR PHI 102) AND BOM 101 (OR BOM 102); a 70% pass in BOM 101 AND BOM 102.
The course bears 15 credits at NQF Level 6.
DP requirements: at least 40% for course work.
Assessment: Coursework 60%; June exam 40%.
Philosophy 202
Entrance Requirements: any of the following configurations — PHI 201; PHI 101 AND PHI 102; PHI 101 (OR PHI 102) AND BOM 101 (OR BOM 102); a 70% pass in BOM 101 AND BOM 102.
The course bears 15 credits at NQF level 6.
DP requirements: at least 40% for course work.
Assessment: Coursework 60%; June exam 40%.
Course Options: Philosophy 202 (Semester 1, 2025)
Students enrolled in Philosophy 202 choose two of the following three classes. Classes are taught concurrently throughout the semester.
Please email your choice of options to Dr. Gama (lindokuhle.gama@ru.ac.za) by the end of day on Wednesday 12 February.
1. Contemporary Epistemology
Dr. Tess Dewhurst (tess.dewhurst@ru.ac.za)
Knowledge is something that we all take ourselves to have. We can know things about our immediate environment, but also about things happening in far distant places and times. In this course we will look at this thing we call knowledge and try to understand what it is. We will also look at how, paradoxically, knowledge has, in some cases, become more difficult to get since the rise of the internet, social media and AI. This will be a two-part course. The first part (term one) will be to look at some of the classic problems in epistemology, such as how can we know anything at all, given that it is possible we are just a brain in a vat, or living in the Matrix. The second part (term 2) will be a look at how the current use of the internet and social media has impacted on our ability to get knowledge, in some ways positively, and others, negatively.
Lectures: Monday 07:45 Physics Upper
Wednesday 09:35 Physics Lower
2. Alternative African Feminist Epistemologies
Dr. Lindokuhle B. Gama (lindokuhle.gama@ru.ac.za)
In this course we will critically engage with the various ways African feminists think about the process of decolonization and social transformation today. There has been some notable endogenous shift in the discourse from the critique of white and Western feminism to more Afrocentric and African centered solutions. This turn demands for alternative epistemologies to be developed sans the Western framework and connected to African indigenous ways of being. Overall, the aim is to provide contradictions to the traditionalist-patriarchal and Western discourses. As such, we will philosophically engage their critical evaluation of ways of knowing that speak through African languages and oral culture, cultural institutions, rituals, symbols, and modes of production. This will empower the student to reflect on how we can recover and use approaches to social, ecological and gender justice issues from African indigenous cultural contexts towards solving socio-political issues and improving development goals in African communities.
Lectures: Tuesday 08:40 School of Languages
Thursday 10:30 School of Languages
3. Can Groups be Agents?
Dr. Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod (gjacotguillarmod@gmail.com)
We often talk of certain kinds of groups (like corporations and governments) as if they can think, feel and act. For example, when reading the news, you might see headlines stating that ‘BP Lied bet36体育投注_bet36体育在线—激情赢盈中√ the Extent of the Oil Spill’, or that ‘Eskom believes it’s turning the tide’, or that ‘KFC apologizes after German Kristallnacht promotion.’ But what do we actually mean when we attribute mental states or actions to a group? Are we saying the group itself is a thinking, feeling agent, or are we merely referring to the individuals within it? The answers to these questions aren’t just theoretical – they can shape how we address real-world problems. This course explores the philosophical arguments surrounding the idea of group agency. We’ll examine the implications of accepting groups as agents, including how doing so can influence the way we address certain problems in our society and assign responsibility for collective wrongdoing.
Lectures: Fridays 11:25 Physics Upper,
and 13:15 Bio Sciences 02
Last Modified: Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:44:16 SAST