Autumn Philosophy School
The course covers key topics in the major areas of philosophy, from metaphysics (Does every event have a cause?) to philosophy of mind (Am I the same person I always was? What is the nature of the relationship between body and mind?) to epistemology (What is knowledge? What can I know?) to ethics (Are there objective moral rules? Can we distinguish between the right and the good? What does it mean to live a good life).
Students will examine the work of classical and contemporary thinkers while refining their own ideas in conversation with tutors and fellow students. Studying these diverse areas together over three days will allow us to explore how these disciplines interrelate and overlap, leaving students with a richer understanding both of the historical development of ideas and the state of contemporary academic philosophy.
The Debate Chamber Autumn Philosophy School is ideal for students who are thinking about studying philosophy at university, or who simply enjoy tackling thorny problems in a logical way and questioning their everyday assumptions.
University of London Union • 23rd-25th October (3 days) • open to students aged 15-18
2010 PROGRAMME
A poster to display or distribute in your school is available here.
Highlights of this course include:
- Personal identity – what does it mean to be you; in particular, what makes you uniquely what you are at any one point in time?
- Free will and determinism –in what sense, if at all, do humans have control over their actions? What challenges does this question pose for religious, ethical and scientific thought?
- Necessary causation – do all events really have a cause, or was David Hume right to be sceptical?
- Ethical realism and anti-realism – is there moral truth, and if so, on what can it be grounded, how can it we know it?
- Deontology and utilitarianism — How (if at all) is an act’s rightness dependent on its consequences, the intention with which is it performed, and who it affects?
- Virtue ethics - What is a virtuous life? Is this the best question to ask about morality, and does Aristotle, Anscombe, Nietzsche or Macintyre have the answer?
- Philosophy of language – what kinds of statements can be true or false? What is it for something to be ‘necessarily true’?
- Scepticism - does philosophy really lead us to doubt everything, or is scepticism itself just a linguistic mistake?
Feedback from the Debate Chamber Philosophy Summer School:
I enjoyed the session on personal identity a lot; the tutor was amusing and engaging and the topic was very interesting.
I was thinking about the ethics session all evening – it challenged a lot of ideas i had previously been sure about’
Really interesting, intellectually stimulating, broadened knowledge of things I studied and gave me new knowledge as well.
Very interesting and well structured. It allowed us to put forward our own ideas as a starting point, and so it was always relevant to what we wanted to talk about’
I especially liked the logic and deductive methods used in the language session
Challenging material, but all very well taught
Intense, but very enjoyable
I had never even considered some of these questions before and it really left me with a lot to ponder
Lively debates – a great preparation for university tutorials
Book a place:
The cost of the Autumn Philosophy School is £195 per student for three days. Debate Chamber offers a limited number of full and partial bursaries to students who could not otherwise afford to attend. Please note that accommodation is not included, and must be arranged independently if required. Bookings for any event may be made by individual students or parents or through the school. To book a place or places at the Autumn Philosophy School, or if you have any further questions, simply call on 0845 519 4827 or email info@debatechamber.com, or use the form below.