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 subjects
    Subjects not offered in 2001
        Second/third year subjects not offered in 2001
        Fourth year subjects not offered in 2001

Philosophy has been taught and studied continuously at the University of Melbourne since 1881, and the Department is accordingly one of the oldest and best established in Australia. The Department is renowned for promotion of an eclectic and wide-ranging approach to philosophical issues. It has earned an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching in all of the core fields of the discipline, as well as in less traditional but burgeoning areas of philosophical inquiry and debate. Graduates of the Department have been recruited to positions in Universities worldwide, and in government, industry and the arts. The Department also provides an articulated structure of higher degree study for students who wish to further pursue their interests in this exciting field.

Philosophy deals with the fundamental aspects of reality and value. It tackles questions that lie outside the scope of any of the more specialised disciplines such as physics, mathematics or history, or which the specialised disciplines suggest, but cannot themselves adequately answer. Despite the abstract nature of many of the problems it encounters, philosophy looks for answers that can only be justified by the highest standards of argument and rigour. Philosophy at Melbourne is wide ranging in scope and covers core topic areas such as ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, feminism, political and environmental philosophy. 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 coordinator. 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:

• 161-503 Philosophy Thesis (25 points) or 161-504 Philosophy Thesis (MYE) (25 points) and;

• six honours subjects in philosophy (totalling 75 points).

With the approval of the head of department, one single-semester fourth year philosophy subject may be replaced by one single-semester history and philosophy of science subject dealing with philosophy of science at fourth year level.

 4.2. Combined honours

Students undertaking combined honours in philosophy and another area of study must complete:

• 161-503 Philosophy Thesis (25 points) or 161-504 Philosophy 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 further study options to students who have already completed a degree: Graduate Certificate in Philosophy (a specialised version of which is recommended for those students interested in preparing themselves for teaching philosophy at VCE level), 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 8344 5142
Fax: +61 3 8344 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
161-008 Moral Theory: Basic Issues
161-010 Scepticism and Reason
161-011 Manners of Meaning
161-013 Contemporary Political Philosophy
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
161-020 Contemporary European Philosophy 1
161-022 Philosophy of Feminism
161-024 Issues in Biomedical Ethics
161-026 Philosophy and Music
161-029 Philosophy and Literature
161-030 Modern Philosophy
161-034 Asian Traditions of Philosophy
161-035 Philosophy of Buddhism
161-052 Ideas of Utopia
161-053 The Good Life in Ancient Thought
161-054 Human Life in Modern Thought

Third year subjects

161-037 Themes in 20th Century Philosophy

Third/fourth year subjects

161-038 Morality, Mortality

Fourth year subjects

161-503 Philosophy Thesis
161-504 Philosophy Thesis (MYE)
161-039 Recent European Philosophy
161-041 Epistemology and Metaphysics
161-042 Current Issues in Philosophy 1
161-043 Philosophical Psychology 1
161-045 Ethical Theory 2
161-046 Political Philosophy
161-047 Current Issues in Philosophy 2
161-048 Logic Directed Study

Subjects not offered in 2001

Second/third year subjects not offered in 2001

Fourth year subjects not offered in 2001

Status:                   Official 2001
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