Investigating philosophy
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Philosophers like to ask deep and penetrating questions. What does it mean to be moral? Would a perfect God let evil exist in the world? When, if ever, is it acceptable to disobey the law? Is the mind distinct from the brain? What is knowledge? Is race ‘socially real’, and what does that mean? In this module, you will investigate these questions and many more through six topics central to philosophy. The study materials will guide you in learning how to analyse texts, construct arguments and evaluate philosophical theories while leaving space for independent study and reflection.
What you will study
The module consists of the following six blocks:
Block 1: Philosophy of Religion
The concept of God is a concept of an all-powerful entity that exists outside time and space. The philosophical puzzles this raises have been studied for millennia by believers and nonbelievers alike. This block draws on a number of different traditions to study the nature of God, the problem posed by the existence of evil, and the occurrence, or not, of miracles.
Block 2: Political Philosophy through Plato’s Crito
Plato’s Crito was written 2400 years ago, but it still has much to teach us. It makes us ask ourselves the questions, “What is the state?” and “Why should we obey the law – if we should?” This block uses Plato’s Crito as the gateway to an exploration of political philosophy today.
Block 3: Philosophy of Mind
Humans and other animals have minds, whereas sticks and stones do not. But what is it to have a mind? The brain seems to have something to do with it, but is it the whole story? In the distant (or not so distant) future, might there be robots, or other artificial intelligence, capable of thought, emotion and experience? The block explores these questions.
Block 4: Ethics
This block looks at three philosophical answers to the question of what it is for our actions to be right or wrong. Are the right actions simply the ones with the best consequences? Or do we have ‘moral duties’ we should fulfil regardless of the consequences? Or perhaps we should simply focus on being good, virtuous people and then the right actions will follow?
Block 5: Epistemology
Epistemology is the study of knowledge. How do we know about the world? One obvious answer is by using our senses. Do our senses supply all that we know? Even mathematics? Don’t we, in fact, also acquire knowledge from listening to other people and reading what they have written? But how do I decide whether to trust other people? Do we all have equal access to knowledge, or are some groups better &/courses/qualifications/details/da223/39;knowers&/courses/qualifications/details/da223/39; than others?
Block 6: Philosophy of Race
The final block uses the skills you have gained throughout the module to answer questions in the Philosophy of Race. What is race? Is it a biological category? A social category? How is the idea of racial groups linked to broader societal structures? It will also analyse racism: is it a belief, a disposition to think badly of certain people, or something else?
Entry requirements
This is an OU level 2 module. OU level 2 modules build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from previous studies at OU level 1. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably at the OU.
Preparatory work
No preparatory work is necessary, but if you would like to do some reading in advance, Simon Blackburn’s Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2001) is an accessible introductory book.
What's included
The module combines two textbooks with rich online resources. The books are self-standing, so you will not have to keep jumping back and forth between them and your computer. You&/courses/qualifications/details/da223/39;ll have access to a module website, which includes:
- a week-by-week study planner
- module materials
- specially commissioned audio and video content
- selections from the rich OU/BBC archive
- quizzes and interactive activities
- assessment guide
- online tutorials and forums
Computing requirements
- Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they may not be suitable as your primary device.
- Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
- Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
- Operating systems – Windows 10 or 11 or macOS Ventura (or higher).
- Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
- Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.