How does the course work ?

This course is what is called a ‘seminar course’. This is when a small group of people come together to address and discuss a particular topic or subject. Often a seminar course will have an accompanying lecture, and it is the job of the course convenor (the person who puts the course together and runs it) to give a brief lecture to guide and structure the discussion.

The seminars will be held every fortnight, and each seminar will last about two hours with a break after about 40-45 minutes. Typically the first part will comprise a brief lecture setting out the big issues, questions, problems, examples and so on, with the aim of provoking reflection and discussion in the second part. As the course progresses so the lecture part may become shorter. At the end of each seminar the convenor will highlight the study material that could be used in preparation for the following seminar. That material will be found in the relevant webpage below.

The course material comprises : the lecture (summary); the seminar discussion (any notes that you might take); readings (available from the webpage); videos (linked in the webpage); other web-accessed materials. In time, a discussion forum may also be added.

Many people may not have studied for years, likely not since leaving formal education. A key part of a ‘free university’ approach to learning is the creation of an open and encouraging environment in which new skills and old concerns can be exercised. So in addition to enquiring into the specific subject of each week’s class, the purpose of this introductory course is to encourage everyone to express their thoughts and ideas in an open and free-flowing way. Because we’re not used to talking amongst strangers and we’re typically not used to diving deep to explain our thoughts, speaking amongst others in a seminar can appear daunting. One way of starting to express yourself is simply to ask questions of your fellow classmates ? “When you said X, what did you mean?” or “I don’t understand. Can you give me an example ?” or “What does that word mean ?” Practicing explaining yourself with people finding themselves in the same boat is a very good way of sharpening your thinking. In other words, ‘thinking out loud’ amongst others also ‘thinking out loud’ can be of enormous mutual benefit.
Since we’re not after right or wrong answers and because we’re involved in a mode of education in which we’re all learning from each other, there’s no such thing as a daft or stupid question. Much better for us to say “I don’t understand” than to insist that “I know that.” This is especially so in a fundamental study such as Philosophy where we are trying to address how we understand and then explain the world.

The course will be a ‘success’ if it leaves us with many more questions than which we started; if we’ve begun to appreciate how widespread in our daily lives our philosophical investigations already appear; if we can begin to use some of the concepts and theories (and words) to assist us in making sense of the world around us.