Unit information: Modern German Thought and Thinkers in 2022/23

Unit name	Modern German Thought and Thinkers
Unit code	GERM10038
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. McClelland
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 German
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

This unit introduces students to the study of German philosophy through key landmarks in German thought from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Students will be encouraged to develop their close reading skills through intensive engagement with significant texts in the original German and to expand their understanding of individual philosophers through independent research. Through critical engagement with the core text for the unit (de Berg and Large below, which presents exclusively male philosophers and which will be supplemented by the unit director) the unit will also encourage students to consider critically the concept of the canon: to understand how the canon is constructed and how it might be expanded. The unit aims to develop students’ skills of critical analysis and synthesis, informed discussion, and the presentation of their ideas in a structured manner, both in writing and orally. It consists of a series of 11 seminars, 9 of which will be focused on different individual philosophers.

The unit thus aims:

• To develop a critical understanding of key figures and developments in the history of German thought
• To develop an understanding of canon construction and the implications of the canon
• To develop students’ sensitivity to key principles and tools for the analysis and understanding of German thought
• To develop students’ ability to to select, synthesise and evaluate relevant material and to present it engagingly in oral form
• To inculcate good practices and attitudes in study at university level, including: precision, curiosity, creativity, independence and imagination
• To enhance students’ capacity to engage closely and critically, in oral discussion and in writing, with primary material and with scholarship
• To develop key technical skills for university study, notably in research, close reading, independent analysis and reasoned debate.

Your learning on this unit

By the end of this unit, successful students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of key figures in German thought and their historical, intellectual and political significance as appropriate to level C/4;
2. Apply skills of textual close reading and sophisticated analytical skills and methods appropriate to Level C/4;
3. Select and synthesise relevant scholarship (via the library and IT resources)
4. Develop precise, independent arguments, in writing, oral presentations, and class discussions;
5. Collaborate effectively in groups on a joint project.

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities, including seminars, lectures and collaborative as well as self-directed learning opportunities supported by tutor consultation.

How you will be assessed

1) A group recorded presentation on a thinker not introduced on the syllabus (group mark of 25%). Testing ILOs 1 and 3-5.

2) A portfolio of three short responses (500 words each, 1,500 max in total) (75%). Testing ILOs 1-4.

Resources

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. GERM10038).

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 Faculty 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. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.