PP1RP-Radical Philosophy

Module Provider: Philosophy
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:4
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2022/3

Module Convenor: Prof Maximilian De Gaynesford
Email: r.m.degaynesford@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

From Plato and Marx to contemporaries like Judith Butler, Slavoj Zizek, and Catharine MacKinnon, there is a long tradition of radicalism in philosophy. This course is about how radical philosophy can usefully question our deepest assumptions and challenge our deepest beliefs. Poets should be outlawed from our society! We can secure knowledge by doubting everything! Capitalism will be destroyed by the very forces it creates! Gender is a social performance! Pornography silences women! Torture is permissible in extreme circumstances, e.g. post 9/11! These are some of the claims this course investigates philosophically.

Aims:
The course encourages students to confront their deepest beliefs and assumptions in a characteristically philosophical way. It helps teach the basic rudiments of philosophical argument. It informs students about current debates in philosophy. It develops a sense of the significance of philosophical thinking in dealing with modern problems. It cultivates skills in oral and written argument. It encourages students to compare and contrast very different ways of doing philosophy, e.g. 􀀑analytic philosophy􀀒, 􀀑phenomenology􀀒, 􀀑post-structuralism􀀒, 􀀑continental philosophy􀀒, 􀀑deconstruction􀀒, 􀀑postmodernism􀀒.

Assessable learning outcomes:
Students will be making their first steps towards mastery of the discipline of Philosophy: they will gain awareness of current philosophers, learn skills of argument and presentation, and understand the epistemology and methodology of Philosophy across a broad range of different conceptions of what counts as 􀀑Philosophy􀀒. Students will also be making their first steps in acquiring their own skills of research and enquiry: they will design their own presentations, undertake research to produce coursework essays, learn how to critically appraise what they discover. Finally, students will be developing personal effectiveness and self-awareness: they will learn how to communicate effectively with a range of audiences (in one-to-one, seminars and lectures) using a range of means (speaking, summary-writing, essay-writing, presenting, designing slides), how to reflect on their progress, their strengths and weaknesses, their developing sense of the goals they wish to achieve.

Additional outcomes:
Students will be enhancing their global engagement and multi-cultural awareness: this module teaches students about different conceptions of social and civic responsibility, about appreciating multiple perspectives and the values of diversity. Students will be enhancing their awareness of gender: this module teaches students about different perspectives on gender and identity, about appreciating how differently cultural phenomena can impact on society. Students will be enhancing their contextual abilities: this module teaches students different ways of relating concepts and theories to the current context, so they can develop the skills to apply their knowledge to real world problems.

Outline content:

The module will begin with (1) an introduction to philosophical argument, and will then consider central historical examples of the radical tradition in philosophy, so as to clarify what ‘radical philosophy’ is. We shall look at (2) Plato’s claim that poets should be banished from society, (3) Descartes’ claim that knowledge can be secured by doubting everything, and (4) Marx’s claim that Capitalism will destroy itself. Using this historical basis to focus issues, the module will then turn to contemporary radical philosophy. We shall look at examples such as (5) Judith Butler’s claim that gender is not the expression of a prior reality but a social performance, (6) Catharine MacKinnon and Rae Langton’s claim that pornography silences women, and (7) Giorgio Agamben and Slavoj Zizek’s’s claim that post 9/11 states of exception reveal tendencies towards fascism.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
The module is taught by lectures and seminars. Students are expected to attend 20 hours of lectur