Philososphical Anthropology

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:11.00

Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:31:09

Study Course Information
Course Code:		HZK_040		LQF level:		Level 7
Credit Points:		2.00		ECTS:		3.00
Branch of Science:		Philosophy; Philosophical Anthropology		Target Audience:		Dentistry
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Uldis Vēgners
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		6	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		12
Classes (count)		10	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		20
Total Contact Hours								32
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Not required.
Objective:
To develop understanding about the various philosophical accounts of human nature, as well as various significant dimensions of human life, including cultural, existential and ethical aspects.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Introduction			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Freedom			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
3	Mind-body problem			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	Ethics			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
5	Culture			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
6	Assisted dying			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
7	Philosophy			Classes		1.00	auditorium
8	Freedom & responsibility			Classes		1.00	auditorium
9	Personal identity			Classes		1.00	auditorium
10	Human & animal			Classes		1.00	auditorium
11	The unconscious			Classes		1.00	auditorium
12	The body			Classes		1.00	auditorium
13	Sex & gender			Classes		1.00	auditorium
14	Good and evil			Classes		1.00	auditorium
15	Death			Classes		1.00	auditorium
16	Good death			Classes		1.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
1. Students have to read the compulsory literature and the reading materials for the seminars. Before every seminar students have to read a dedicated reading material and must be prepared to answer questions about the main concepts, ideas and arguments of that reading material. 2. Preparation of a presentation about the reading material of a seminar. During the course a student or a group of students (if there are more students in a seminar group than texts for the seminars) independently prepare one presentation about a seminar reading material to be presented during the respective seminar. 3. Students independently prepare for the examination about the topics from lectures and seminars. 4. At the end of the course students take course evaluation survey on the e-studies.
Assessment Criteria:
1. Participation in seminars individually or in a group (40% from the final grade). Students actively participate in all seminar, understand and can formulate the ideas expressed in the seminar reading material, productively engage in discussions about the issues of the semianr topic, argue their position, use appropriate terminology in discussions, as well as refer to the seminar reading material in discussions. 2. Presentation about the seminar reading material (20% from the final grade). Students individually (or, according to situation, in groups) carry out a presentation about one of the seminar texts in which students identify and exhibit good understanding about the aim, key concepts, ideas and arguments of the text. 3. Examination (40% from the final grade). Students take a written examination, in which they have to show the acquired knowledge about the topics covered in the course.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Students know and understand the philosohpical approach of anthropology, the main theoretical approaches and concepts in philosophical anthropology concerning the understanding of human being, as well as various significant dimensions of human life, including cultural, existential and ethical aspects.
Skills:		Students identify and adequately use the concepts, dimensions that characterise human life, philosophical anthropology, recognizes the major issues in philosophical anthropology, formulates questions during discussions, analyse and critically evaluate the philosophical approaches, concepts and arguments, formulates and argues their own position in discussions, provide solutions for problems.
Competencies:		Students are able to understand, interpret and critically evaluate the approach of philosophical anthropology and its major theoretical approaches, as well as various significant dimensions of human life as described in philosophy. Students have improved their communicative (group work, discussions) and cognitive (independent work, examination) competence.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Ferrando, F. 2020. Leveling the Posthuman Playing Field. Theology and Science. 18(1), 1–6. [viewed 19.03.2022.]
2	Fuchs, T. 2022. In Defence of the Human Being: Foundational Questions of an Embodied Anthropology. New York: Oxford University Press.
3	Stenmark, M. 2012. Theories of Human Nature: Key Issues. Philosophy Compass. 7(8), 543–58. [viewed 26.03.2022.] (akceptējams izdevums)
4	Stevenson, L. F., ed. 2017. Thirteen Theories of Human Nature. 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
5	Wentzer, T. S. and Mattingly, C. 2018. Toward a New Humanism: An Approach from Philosophical Anthropology. HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory. 8(1–2), 144–57. [viewed 20.03.2022.]
Additional Reading
1	Doyle, D. J. 2018. What Does It Mean to Be Human? Life, Death, Personhood and the Transhumanist Movement. 1st ed. Cham: Springer International Publishing
2	Dutton, E. Anthropology, The Philosophy Of. In: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. [viewed 20.03.2022.]
3	Roughley, N. 2021. Human Nature. In: Zalta, E. N., ed. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. [viewed 26.03.2022.]
Other Information Sources
1	Calarco, M. 29.09.2015. On the Separation of Human and Animal. From Aristotle to Agamben: How Philosophy Is Changing Its Tune on Animal Life. Stanford University Press Blog. [viewed 26.03.2022.]