Content: These lectures are an introduction to that part of philosophy, called “practical”, which is concerned with actions and things in their neighbourhood (e.g., desires, decisions, intentions, policies). Practical philosophy asks how to describe and explain these items, but also how to assess them – most notably, how to assess them as rational or irrational or as morally good or bad.
Exercise scheme: Most of the tutoring for these lectures happens electronically, in the form of weekly voluntary exercises. You hand in answers per e-mail a few days after each lecture and will receive, also per e-mail, a response by a tutor. Participation in this scheme is strongly recommended, not least because the questions in the final exam will be of a similar character (and so is a large portion of philosophy in general).
Additional tutoring, Thursdays after 17:45: The electronic tutoring will be supplemented by the following opportunities. (i) On almost all Thursdays, both the tutor and the professor will be available to answer your questions right after the lecture, for a serious stretch of time if required. (ii) For some Thursdays, we may schedule a full-fledged 90-minute tutorial session right after the lecture; we need to remain flexible about those sessions, scheduling them when we feel that they are needed, but any such session will take place right after the lecture and will be announced at least five days in advance.
Exam: There is only one kind of exam associated with these lectures, a written final exam. You can answer the questions in the final exam in German if you like. It will not influence your grade whether you answer in English or in German. The current plan is that the exam happens on Thu 20 July. That is the one but last (not the last) week of the lecture period.
Extra session: We need to schedule one extra session because we are losing the one in the final week due to the early exam. That extra session (not a tutorial, but a normal additional lecture) will take place on Thu 8 June, from 18:00 to 19:30. In other words, there will be a double session (two lectures) on that day.
Updates of this text: If this text requires updating, that will happen online in the university’s lsf system. Versions of this text that you find elsewhere may not be the latest ones. |
