Bachelor of Arts (BA) - The University of Hong Kong

278PHIL1006.Elementary logic (3 credits)(This course is also offered to non-BA students for inter-Faculty broadening purposes.)Formal logic uses special symbolic notations to study reasoning and arguments systematically. This is aweb-based self-study course on basic formal logic, in particular, sentential logic. Although there are nolectures, there are optional tutorial sessions for students to ask questions. Registered students shouldvisit the philosophy department at the beginning of the semester to obtain a course handout.Assessment: 60% coursework, 40% final exam.Not available to students who have taken PHIL2510. Logic.SECOND AND THIRD LEVELSStudents wishing to take the courses listed below should normally have taken at least one first-levelcourse, except where otherwise indicated, or with prior approval. Apart from PHIL3810. Seniorseminar and PHIL3910. Senior thesis, they are all second or third level courses. Some of thesecourses are also available to students of other faculties as 'broadening courses'.Most of these courses consist of 18 lectures in one semester, together with tutorials. Details of tutorialand other arrangements are published each year in the department's booklet, Choices in Philosophy.All these courses but two are listed under four groups:Knowledge and realityMind and languageMoral and political philosophyHistory of philosophy.Of the second and third level courses listed, twelve to sixteen will normally be offered each year. Thismeans that not every course will be available in any two-year period. Therefore, student preferenceswill play a part in determining which courses are offered. Some courses, however, are likely to beoffered every year (because of our commitments to curricula outside the B.A., and for other reasons),and some we prefer to give at least once every two years to make sure that every student has anopportunity to take them. Details of this are indicated below.Students who major in philosophy must take at least eight courses in philosophy, and are recommendedto take at least one course from each of these categories. Third year majors are recommended to takethe Senior seminar in their final year, especially if they are considering further study in philosophy,provided that their second year grades reach a good level. Students may also take a double major,combining philosophy equally with another Arts or Social Science discipline. (BA students taking adouble major with a Social Science discipline must conform to the requirements determined by theFaculty of Social Sciences for majors in a Social Science discipline).Group I: Knowledge and RealityPHIL2110.Knowledge (6 credits)(This course is also offered to second and third year non-BA students for inter-Faculty broadeningpurposes.)Theory of knowledge deals with the nature and possibility of knowledge and its limits. We shall addressquestions that include: Is Scepticism possible? Are some kinds of knowledge more basic than others?Are our views of the world really true or just elaborate stories that serve our purposes? Canphilosophers learn about knowledge from psychology and physiology? What could philosophers add totheir stories? Is there one concept of justification (reason) or many (social and cultural differences)? Istruth an important goal of knowledge?Assessment: 100% coursework (may include in-class test).