Overview
Studies of revolutionary changes in philosophical perspective, from the nineteenth century to the present day.
The mental frames we use to understand ourselves and the wider world can seem obvious and self-explanatory—until they no longer are. The concepts we employ every day only seem timeless and universal, when in fact they are contingent products of ongoing competing efforts to frame reality. We examine some of these revolutions of the mind, attending to the circumstances that made radical conceptual shifts possible, and to the multitude of competing arguments around each major change. Topics include pessimism, anti-colonialism, non-anthropocentrism, cosmopolitanism, anarchism, workplace and other forms of radical democracy, critical realism, new materialism, gender theory, and transhumanism.
About this paper
| Paper title | Revolutionary Philosophy (Advanced) |
|---|---|
| Subject | Philosophy |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,103.10 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- One of 200 level PHIL papers
- Restriction
- PHIL 206
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Eligibility
One 200-level PHIL paper.
- Contact
Professor Lisa Ellis
- More information link
View more information on the Philosophy Programme's website
- Teaching staff
Professor Lisa Ellis
- Paper Structure
We treat philosophy as a practical discipline, developing skills such as analysis, interpretation, and persuasive argument together in class. Readings consist of a series of brilliant, consensus-disrupting papers (often in disagreement with each other). Lectures provide context, model philosophical reasoning, and present arguments about revolutions of the mind; they do not summarise the readings. Students will prepare presentations on an advanced topic in revolutionary philosophy and present them in the second half of the semester.
- Teaching Arrangements
Two one-hour lectures and one one-hour seminar per week.
- Textbooks
Readings will be available on eReserve.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students taking PHIL306 will be able to:
- develop, interpret, assess, and present advanced philosophical arguments in discussion;
- think critically about advanced ideas in revolutionary philosophy;
- apply a variety of perspectives, including advanced perspectives, in revolutionary philosophy;
- develop a theoretically sophisticated understanding of political philosophy in social and historical context;
- write clearly, reason defensibly, and make effective presentations about revolutionary philosophy
- Assessment details
- Weekly reading diary = 10%
- Midterm examination (1 hour) = 20%
- Presentation = 30%
- Final examination (3 hours) = 40%
Overview
Studies of revolutionary changes in philosophical perspective, from the nineteenth century to the present day.
The mental frames we use to understand ourselves and the wider world can seem obvious and self-explanatory, until they no longer are. The concepts we employ every day only seem timeless and universal, when in fact they are contingent products of ongoing competing efforts to frame reality. We examine some of these revolutions of the mind, attending to the circumstances that made radical conceptual shifts possible, and to the multitude of competing arguments around each major change.
Topics include pessimism, anti-colonialism, non-anthropocentrism, cosmopolitanism, anarchism, workplace and other forms of radical democracy, critical realism, new materialism, gender theory and transhumanism.
About this paper
| Paper title | Revolutionary Philosophy (Advanced) |
|---|---|
| Subject | Philosophy |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2027, expected to be offered in 2028 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- One of 200 level PHIL papers
- Restriction
- PHIL 206
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Eligibility
One 200-level PHIL paper.
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the Philosophy Programme's website.
- Teaching staff
- Paper Structure
We treat philosophy as a practical discipline, developing skills such as analysis, interpretation and persuasive argument together in class. Readings consist of a series of brilliant, consensus-disrupting papers (often in disagreement with each other). Lectures provide context, model philosophical reasoning, and present arguments about revolutions of the mind; they do not summarise the readings.
Students will prepare presentations on an advanced topic in revolutionary philosophy and present them in the second half of the semester.
- Teaching Arrangements
Two 1-hour lectures and one 1-hour seminar per week.
- Textbooks
Readings will be available on eReserve.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students taking PHIL 306 will be able to:
- Develop, interpret, assess and present advanced philosophical arguments in discussion.
- Think critically about advanced ideas in revolutionary philosophy.
- Apply a variety of perspectives, including advanced perspectives, in revolutionary philosophy.
- Develop a theoretically sophisticated understanding of political philosophy in social and historical context.
- Write clearly, reason defensibly and make effective presentations about revolutionary philosophy.
- Assessment details
- Weekly reading diary = 10%
- Mid-term examination (1 hour) = 20%
- Presentation = 30%
- Final examination (3 hours) = 40%