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The Value of Knowledge

Assessment

Revised in the light of the first class meeting

In designing the assessment, I am anxious to get you

(a) to develop your own thinking about knowledge and

(b) to develop your skill in getting help with your thinking from other clever people.

There will be

One assignment (2,500 words)

and

One pre-seen examination

The two assessments are equally weighted at 50% each.

The Pre-seen exam

You write answers to two questions in two hours from a list of 6.

A pre-seen exam paper looks like an ordinary one, with the transforming difference that you are given the paper to work on several weeks before you have to do it. It's like two time-limited 'supervised' essays if you like. My take on how to approach pre-seen exam are here.

The Assignment

The assignment is to present a 2500 word study. There are two options.

Option 1. Write an essay responding to the invitation:

Evaluate the thesis that knowledge is the source of all evil.

One way of going about this assignment is this:

• Explain what you think the thesis is saying - you will need to say how (for the purposes of the essay) you understand 'evil', and how you are understanding 'knowledge'.
• Present the best arguments you can think of, or can find, for the thesis.
• Present what can be said against these arguments.
• Arrive at a statement of where all the argumentation that you have considered leaves the thesis. This will be your conclusion. It doesn't have to be "The thesis stands" or "The thesis is false"- it could be "there is this to be said for and this to be said against and so we don't really know".

Reading

You should draw on some reading/research to strengthen and develop the argumention that comes straight out of your head. I want you to find suitable reading, because doing so calls for an absolutely key skill which you should be developing. Just one, or two, articles or chapters or webpages would be enough, if they were well chosen and put to good use.

List of reading drawn on

At the end of your study you should have a note of what you have drawn on. Use whatever convention you prefer for giving the publication details, but stick to it. Colleague Warwick Fox has drawn up some notes to help.

And then a special requirement:

To each entry please add a note saying why you think this item is worth taking this seriously. (There's lots of poorly argued / unargued stuff out there and you need to develop your skill in spotting them!)

You will get credit for correctly identifying and drawing on relevant reading. You should try and find one or two books or chapters or webpages which you think are good pieces of philosophy and help your analysis forward.

Option 2.

Write a critical evaluation of Chapter 6 of Russell's The Problems of Philosophy.

This will be a matter of explaining in your own words the arguments Russell is putting forward in that chapter and explaining whether you think they are valid and why.

You don't have to draw on any reading other than the Russell chapter for this option, though you may choose to do so. List the items you have used at the end.

Russell's Chapter 6 is here

and the book as a whole here.

Tips on writing an assignment in philosophy

• Philosophers have to argue trenchantly, but not like advocates. You are out to get at the truth, not to make the best case.
• Aim to make one clear point at a time. Structure your writing so that for every paragraph you can compress the point it is making in a single sentence.
• Many people think you MUST start by drawing up a plan and then writing to that. This works for some people certainly, but an alternative is to scribble out a first go and then bring order to the chaos by editing - reordering points, crossing out rubbish, adding points to fill logical gaps, etc. Consider using the 'synoptic' technique.

Deadline

5.00 pm Monday 23rd November.

The penalties for late submission are really serious (and out of my hands!).

Word limit

2,500 Words

How to hand in your assignment

Coursework essays are submitted electronically. You should send your work in the form of an email attachment (Microsoft Word file or text file only please) to: philosophyhandin@uclan.ac.uk

You have to include the module title, module code (and assignment number for modules with more than one assignment) in the TITLE of your email.

- and also you have attach a completed electronic copy of the philosophy assignment cover sheet (available from the module web page) to your email.

- If you have obtained an extension to your hand-in deadline you should also attach a copy of the extension form, agreeing the extension.

You will receive an automatic reply acknowledgement by return to say that your mail has been received. This will be followed up by an email confirmation of receipt a couple of working days later. If you don't receive this within 2-3 working days, please contact the office (Harrington 122, Tel. 01772 892780) to check that your work has been received.

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