| Unit name | Death, dying and disease |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL20049 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Grose |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
none |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In this unit, we consider a range of closely inter-related philosophical questions that are raised by death and dying. While topics and readings may change from year to year, we will typically cover the following questions: Is it rational to fear our own death? Is death bad for the one who dies? What do we care about in our survival? What gives value to life? What do we mean by 'the meaning of life'? What is the badness of never having existed at all? Should we desire immortality? When, if ever, is assisted suicide permissible? What is it genuinely to know that you are mortal? Our thinking about these questions will be informed by readings from across the history of philosophy, from Epicurus and Lucretius in the ancient world, to Thomas Nagel, Susan Wolf, and Elizabeth Harman in the twentieth century; we will also draw on works of literature.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
(1) demonstrate detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding of the central philosophical issues concerning, and philosophical approaches to, death,
(2) demonstrate detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding of the key literature concerning those issues and approaches,
(3) demonstrate the ability to critically engage with, and philosophically analyse, these issues and approaches, together with the key literature concerning them, in a manner appropriate to level I/5.
(4) demonstrate skills in the written presentation of complex material on these debates and positions, as appropriate to Level I/5,
(5) work together collaboratively with others to collectively present and explain philosophical material orally in a manner accessible to a public audience.
Lectures, small group work, individual exercises, seminars and virtual learning environment.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
None
Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for credit (zero-weighted):
Digital Collaborative Presentation (0%, Required for Credit) [ILOs 1-3, 5]
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
3000-word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHIL20049).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
