PHI102 Examen Philosophicum - English Option

Philosophy is about our most basic assumptions. What exists? What can we know? What is a human? What is right or wrong? What is science? In this course, students will be introduced to a range of philosophical themes.

The course consists of three parts: (1) history of philosophy; (2) philosophy of science; (3) ethics. Part 1 introduces some significant stages of Western history of philosophy, as it has developed from antiquity to modern time. This includes the emergence of modern thinking and its philosophical foundation in different worldviews (e.g. the ecological and the mechanistic worldview). Another emphasis is on how philosophical theories influence our thinking about human nature and society. Part 2 introduces some important themes within philosophy of science, including what characterises scientific knowledge and methods, and what separates various disciplines. Emphasis is placed on foundational philosophical assumptions in the tension between different disciplinary traditions and perspectives, and how these are expressed in interdisciplinary collaborations over complex scientific and societal problems, as in research on climate and sustainable solutions. Part 3 gives an overview of different forms of ethical argumentation, and in the application of such argumentation on important moral questions, including questions related to cultural conflicts, equality, animal rights, natural resource management and sustainability. The emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and sustainability is grounded in NMBU's commitment to "Joint efforts for a sustainable future".

KNOWLEDGE: The students will get introductory knowledge about individual philosophers, philosophical traditions and central concepts within history of philosophy, ethics and philosophy of science. They will be given some tools for critical reflections over their own and others' most basic assumptions of a philosophical nature.

SKILLS: The students should be able to recognise various philosophical positions and perspectives, such as empiricism, rationalism, dualism, reductionism and relativism. They should be able to distinguish between some moral theories and to use these to formulate their own moral arguments. They should understand how different disciplinary traditions might rely on different philosophical assumptions about scientific knowledge and methods.

GENERAL COMPETENCE: The students should be able to account for the various philosophical theories and concepts within history of philosophy, ethics and philosophy of science. They should be able to identify philosophical assumptions in moral arguments and scientific approaches. They should be able to formulate their own moral arguments in line with the different theories. They should have competence in argumentation and critical reflections, also concerning foundational assumptions within their own discipline.