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 2000
        Second/Third Year subjects not offered in 2000
        Fourth Year Honours subjects not offered in 2000

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 20th Century Philosophy, a course specifically intended for aspiring Honours students.

 4. Honours requirements

Students enrolled in Philosophy Honours must achieve an H2B grade or better 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 (MYE) (25 points) and;

• 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) or161-051 Philosophy Honours Thesis (MYE) (25 points) and;

• three Honours subjects in Philosophy (37.5 points) and;

• three Honours subjects in the combined area of study (totalling 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 (totalling 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: Graduate Diploma in Philosophy, Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Philosophy), 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 postgraduate coordinators.

 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, The Australian 4/12/96)

 7. For more information

Department of Philosophy
First Floor, Old Arts Building
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
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 Study of Human Nature
161-003 Critical Thinking: The Art of Reasoning
161-004 Fundamental Questions in Philosophy
161-005 Freedom and Constraint
161-006 Central Problems in Philosophy

Second/Third Year subjects

161-007 Moral Philosophy: Great Thinkers
161-009 Knowledge, Truth and Relativism
161-012 Classics of Political Thought
161-014 Environmental Philosophy
161-015 Introduction to Formal Logic
161-016 Topics in Formal Logic
161-017 Does God Exist?
161-020 Contemporary European Philosophy 1
161-021 Contemporary European Philosophy 2
161-022 Philosophy of Feminism
161-023 Medieval Philosophy
161-024 Issues in Biomedical Ethics
161-025 Philosophy and Cognitive Science
161-026 Philosophy and Music
161-027 Applied Ethics
161-029 Philosophy and Literature
161-031 Metaphysics and the Nature of God
161-032 Philosophy of Cultural Practices
161-033 The Ways of Paradox
161-034 Asian Traditions of Philosophy
161-035 Philosophy of Buddhism

Third Year subjects

161-037 Themes in 20th Century Philosophy

Third/Fourth Year subjects

161-038 Morality, Mortality

Fourth Year Honours subjects

161-040 Ethical Theory 1
161-041 Epistemology and Metaphysics
161-042 Current Issues in Philosophy 1
161-043 Philosophical Psychology 1
161-044 Philosophical Psychology 2
161-045 Ethical Theory 2
161-046 Political Philosophy
161-047 Current Issues in Philosophy 2
161-048 Logic Directed Study
161-049 Philosophy Honours Thesis
161-051 Philosophy Honours Thesis (MYE)

Subjects not offered in 2000

Second/Third Year subjects not offered in 2000

Fourth Year Honours subjects not offered in 2000

Status:                   Official 2000
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