Faculty of Arts

 Philosophy

Table of Contents

Subject Lists
    First-year subjects
    Second/third-year subjects
    Third-year subjects
    Third/fourth-year subjects
    Fourth year Honours subjects
    Subjects not offered in 1999
        Second/third-year subjects not offered in 1999
        Fourth Year Honours subjects not offered in 1999

Philosophy deals with the fundamental aspects of reality and value, tackling questions which lie outside the scope of any of the more specialized disciplines (like Physics or Mathematics or History), or which the specialized disciplines suggest, but cannot themselves completely answer. Despite the abstract nature of many of the problems it discusses, it looks for answers which can be justified by the highest standards of argument and rigour. Among philosophical questions discussed are these: Could all experience be a dream? Does God exist? Is morality just a matter of personal preference? Is there such a thing as human nature? Are we genuinely free to choose? Does life have meaning?

 1. Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for first year Philosophy subjects.

The prerequisite for a second/third-year subject in Philosophy is completion of one Philosophy subject at first year (12.5 points). Students who have done suitable alternative first-year subjects are advised to consult with the Head of Department for permission to enrol. Exemptions may also be granted where second/third-year subjects are taken as part of an approved interdepartmental program with its own entry requirements. Note however that a Major in Philosophy requires the completion of two first-year subjects.

Students are advised to consult individual subject prerequisites for further information.

 2. Requirements for a Major

A Major in Philosophy usually consists of nine 12.5 point subjects, totalling 112.5 points. It comprises:

• Two first-year subjects in Philosophy (25 points), and;

• Seven second/third-year subjects in Philosophy totalling 87.5 points.

 3. Honours entry

The prerequisites for entry to fourth year Honours in Philosophy are:

• Completion of all the requirements for the BA, and;

• Completion of a Major in Philosophy, and;

• An average grade of H2A or higher over the second/third-year subjects within the Major

Entry to Honours must be approved by the Philosophy Honours coordinator and the Faculty of Arts Honours course adviser.

Students proposing to enter Honours are required to have achieved some spread over their second/third-year subjects. Information as to how this may be achieved can be found in the Departmental Handbook or by consulting the Head of Department or the department's Honours adviser. No subjects are compulsory, but prospective Honours students are strongly advised to take the subject 161-037 Themes in Twentieth-Century Philosophy, a course specially intended for aspiring Honours students.

 4. Honours requirements

Students enrolled in Philosophy Honours must achieve an H2B grade in each assessable component of their Honours year.

 4.1. Pure Honours

Students undertaking pure Honours in Philosophy must complete:

• 161-049 Philosophy Honours Thesis (25 points) or 161-051 Philosophy Honours Thesis (mid-year entry) (25 points).

• Six Honours subjects in Philosophy totalling 75 points.

 4.2. Combined Honours

Students undertaking combined Honours in Philosophy and another area of study must complete:

• 161-049 Philosophy Honours Thesis (25 points) or 161-051 Philosophy Honours Thesis (mid-year entry) (25 points).

• Three Honours subjects in Philosophy (37.5 points), and;

• Three Honours subjects in the combined area of study (equivalent to 37.5 points).

or

• Honours thesis in the combined area of study (37.5 points), and;

• Two Honours subjects in the combined area of study (equivalent to 25 points), and;

• Three Honours subjects in Philosophy (37.5 points).

 5. Further study

The Philosophy department offers the usual range of subjects to students who have already completed a degree: Postgraduate Diploma, Master of Arts (by research or course work), and the PhD. Further information about these programs can be obtained by consulting either the Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Handbook or the Philosophy Department's appropriate advisers.

 6. Career opportunities

Philosophy develops rigorous thought, clear expression, and creative approaches to problems which are appreciated and valued by employers: 'The best graduates are those who have received a very good training in...the philosophical side of the subject matter; the understanding that will last a long time, irrespective of changes in technology or changes in the market place.' (BHP deputy chair, Jerry Ellis, Australian 4/12/96)

 7. For more information

Department of Philosophy
First Floor, Old Arts Building
The University of Melbourne
Parkville Victoria 3052
Tel: +61 3 9344 5142
Fax: +61 3 9344 4280
email: office@philosophy.unimelb.edu.au
Web: http://www.philosophy.unimelb.edu.au

First-year subjects

161-001 Moral Conflicts
161-002 The Study of Human Nature
161-003 Logic and Rationality: The Art of Good Reasoning
161-004 Fundamental Questions in Philosophy
161-005 Freedom and Constraint: Existentialism and Feminism
161-006 Central Problems in Philosophy

Second/third-year subjects

161-007 Moral Philosophy: Great Thinkers
161-008 Moral Theory: Basic Issues
161-010 Scepticism and Reason
161-011 Manners of Meaning: A Survey of the Philosophy of Language
161-013 Contemporary Political Philosophy: Values Underlying Liberal Democratic Societies
161-014 Environmental Philosophy
161-015 Introduction to Formal Logic
161-016 Topics in Formal Logic
161-017 Does God Exist?
161-018 Philosophy of Art
161-019 Greek Philosophy: Metaphysics and Epistemology
161-020 Contemporary European Philosophy I: Phenomenology and Existentialism
161-022 Philosophy of Feminism: Issues in Contemporary Feminist Thought
161-024 Issues in Biomedical Ethics
161-025 Philosophy and Cognitive Science
161-026 Philosophy and Music
161-028 French Feminisms
161-029 Philosophy and Literature
161-030 Modern Philosophy: Metaphysics and Epistemology
161-034 Asian Traditions of Philosophy: Nature, Ethics and Culture
161-035 The Philosophy of Buddhism

Third-year subjects

161-037 Themes in Twentieth-Century Philosophy

Third/fourth-year subjects

161-038 Moral Theory and its Applications

Fourth year Honours subjects

161-049 Philosophy Honours Thesis
161-039 Recent European Philosophy
161-041 Authorities: Epistemology and Metaphysics
161-042 Current Issues in Philosophy I
161-043 Philosophical Psychology I
161-045 Ethical Theory II
161-046 Political Philosophy
161-047 Current Issues in Philosophy II
161-048 Logic Directed Study
161-051 Philosophy Honours Thesis (mid-year entry)

Subjects not offered in 1999

Second/third-year subjects not offered in 1999

Fourth Year Honours subjects not offered in 1999

Status:                   Official 1999
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Email Enquiries:          Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au