Course Detail for 2012 Batch (Kathmandu University)

Course: Philosophy (PHIL 251)
Course Load: Three credit (Total hrs. 48)

Objectives of the course: To acquaint students with the history of ideas, and to enable them to appreciate the significance of philosophical thoughts in the issues of media studies.

Course Details:
Unit 1: Introduction to Philosophy ............. 2 hrs
• Fundamentals of Philosophy
- Defining philosophy, branches of philosophy [ontology, epistemology, socio-political (ethical, aesthetic), Linguistic] pragmatics of philosophy for media studies students

Unit 2: Wisdom of the ancients .................8 hrs
• Civilizations and Religions
- Oriental and Occidental (Mahenjodaro and Harappa, Indus valley, Chinese, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Hiduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
• Ancient Greek Philosophy
- Shift from ontology to epistemology and socio-political concern
(natural philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle)
• Roman Philosophy
- Reflection and Innovation in Greek philosophy

Unit 3: Medieval Philosophy .....................3 hrs
• Relationship between philosophical reflection and the three dominant religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
- Augustine, Boethius, Abailard, Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd, Aquinas

Unit 4: Renaissance and Reformation .............4 hrs
• Nature of the revival of classical knowledge
• Reaction to Christianity
- Erasmus, Thomas Moore, Martin Luther

Unit 5: European phil. in the 17th and 18th centuries .......4 hrs
• Rationalism and Empiricism
- Descartes, Locke and Kant

Unit 6: 19th Century Continental Philosophers ........6 hrs
• [Turn after Kant] Hegel, Marx, Husserl, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre

Unit 7: American Philosophy ........................4 hrs
• Pragmatism and liberalism
- Charles Sanders Peirce, John Dewey and major tenets of liberalism

Unit 8: Contemporary Continental Philosophy ..................6 hrs
• Existentialism, Structuralism, Post-structuralism, Feminism, Critical studies
- Saussure, Lévi-Strauss, Derrida, Foucault, Habermas, Harding

Unit 9: Eastern Philosophy ....................8 hrs
• Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism
- Major tenets

Unit 10: Introduction to Logic .............3 hrs
• Logic and Fallacies
- Introduction and types

Requirements and Evaluation
In addition to studying the textbook, students are required to write two 5-6 page papers: the topic for each assignment will be decided during the semester. In addition, students will be required to prepare journal and deliver at least 1 presentation. Moreover, they will appear for two internal evaluations and an end semester examina- tions. The two exams will consist of both objective and essay questions. The final grade is determined as follows

Papers 10%
Midterm exams 20%
Final exam 60%
Presentation and attendance 10%


Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend each class period. Unexcused absen-ces will be reflected in the students participation and attendance grade. If students miss more than six classes they will fail this course regardless of their grade. Additionally, students are responsible for any material missed during an excused or unexcused absence.

References for Philosophy
Chakraborti, Chhanda (2007). Logic: Informal, Symbolic & Inductive. 2nd Ed. India: PHI.
Doren, Charles Van (1983). A History of Knowledge. Ballantine Books.
Gaarder, Jostein (1995). Sophie’s World. H. Aschehoug & Company.
Waley, A. , Conze E. (2006). Buddhism: Its Essence and Development. Kessinger Pub Co
Radhakrishnan, S. (1999). Indian Philosophy. (2 vols.). Oxford.
Handouts (will provide link)