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161-021 Contemporary European Philosophy II: Representation and Signification | |
Note | Formerly available as 161-227/327. Students who have completed 161-227/327 are not eligible to enrol in this subject. To alternate with 161-028 |
Availability | 2nd and 3rd year |
Credit Points | 12.5 |
Coordinator | Dr M Tapper |
Prerequisites | One first year single-semester Philosophy subject. Students who lack this prerequisite, but believe themselves adequately prepared to attempt any second/third-year subjects, should consult the Head of Department. |
Semester | Not Offered (view timetable) |
Contact | Two 1-hour lectures per week for the first 11 weeks, and a 1-hour tutorial per week beginning the third week of semester |
Subject Description | This subject studies the theories of meaning and interpretation developed in contemporary European thought. It examines questions such as: What is a text? Is the meaning of a text a function of the author's intentions, or is the meaning to be identified with some representation of the world described in the text, or is it a function of the structure of the text and discourse in general? Can interpretations be true? Can conflicting interpretations both be true? What is it to interpret a text? How does an interpretation differ from a deconstruction? Major authors discussed will be chosen from Saussure, Freud, Heidegger, Ricoeur, Gadamer, Derrida, Barthes, and Foucault. On completion of this subject students should have a broad grasp of a variety of competing theories and understand what would be involved in applying them to a critical reading of texts. |
Assessment | A 2-hour examination, and an assignment of 2000 words, and regular attendance and participation in tutorials. |
Search : Index : Faculty of Arts : Philosophy
Prev 161-012 Classics of Political Thought: Control and Consent
Next 161-023 Medieval Philosophy: Love, Death and the Body
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