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Year:

PHIL385 Reason and Choice: Individual, Social, Political

Credit Points 6
Offering Not offered in 2013
Intensive School(s)
Start Finish Attendance Notes
N/A N/A Non-Mandatory
Supervised Exam There is a UNE Supervised Examination held at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled.
Pre-requisites 6cp in PHIL or HUMS101 or IDIG110 or candidature in a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions PHIL285 or PHIL485 or PHIL585 or PHPO285 or PHPO385
Notes None
Combined Units PHIL585 - Reason and Choice: Individual, Social, Political
Coordinator(s) Arcady Blinov (ablinov@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

The idea of reason organises discussion of issues in ethical, political and social philosophy. Topics include: critiques of instrumental reason; rational decisions in social situations; Prisoner's Dilemma and its social and political implications; rational choice paradigm in social science; the Kantian accounts of reason and morality.

Materials Textbook information will be displayed approximately 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the teaching period. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment Assessment information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. explore significant philosophical issues regarding the nature of reason;
  2. demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of different philosophical approaches which might be taken to the problem of rational choice; and
  3. demonstrate an appreciation of philosophical theory in general.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Knowledge of the philosophy discipline will be taught through unit notes, readings and assessment tasks. Knowledge is assessed in all assessment tasks.
True True
2 Communication Skills
Written communication skills will be taught, practised and assessed for all students through required essay assignments. For on-campus students oral communication skills will be taught and practised through participation in tutorials while off-campus students will practise their communication skills through online discussion postings.
True True True
3 Global Perspectives
This unit's emphasis on the broader philosophical underpinnings of our reasoning practices will present students with opportunities for developing a global perspective.
True
4 Information Literacy
Students will be directed to relevant literature and taught how to assess its validity. Students will be assessed on their ability to identify and critically analyse the relevant literature.
True True
5 Life-Long Learning
By completing the assessments, students will be provided with the necessary life-long skills to be able to research, write and discuss social issues. These skills can be transferred to any discipline, and will be useful in any research positions. These attributes will be assessed in all of the assessments (written skills; analytical skills).
True True
6 Problem Solving
Students will be assessed on their ability to deconstruct the questions and to integrate theory and literature into their answer. Students will need to work out how to address the question and where to find the most appropriate material to answer the question.
True
7 Social Responsibility
Students will be taught about their professional responsibilities as a researcher to provide balanced and accurate research. In addition, students will be taught that they have a social responsibility to question and challenge some 'facts'. This will be assessed and taught through their responses to the essay, exam questions and discussions in tutorials or online postings.
True True True
8 Team Work
Students will practise their teamwork skills through participating in tutorials, or online discussion postings. They will be required to discuss the weekly topics with their fellow students in a thoughtful and respectful manner.
True
   

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