The Philosophy of Knowledge Assignment
MRes, MMUBS

 

Title: Critically reflect upon the epistemological issues relevant to your research

 

Length: 5000 words

Deadline: to arrive by or be handed in by 3pm on the 27th February 2003

What: 2 stapled hard copies (from a word-processed text)

Where: to the Graduate Business School Administrator

Along with: a completed submission form

Guidelines to help you in writing the assignment

(These are not compulsory but are supposed to provide useful hints if you need them)

 

·         Start with a single paragraph (not too long) introducing the area/problem you intend to research for your PhD, including aspects of it that are relevant to the following discussion.

·         Review the philosophical issues/critiques/positions/methods that have been presented to you or you have read and decide which are relevant to you research and why.

·         If several of them are relevant do not bother to go through the rest to say why they are not relevant.

·         If you decide none are relevant, say why they are not relevant – careful, this is a hard position to defend!

·         Make a decision as to what philosophical position you think you will take, and defend it with reference to the nature of your research.

·         Briefly consider any philosophical criticisms that may be made of your position and research and defend it against them or describe how you will guard against difficulties.

·         Refer specifically to some of the texts you have read and the positions/arguments by name.

·         Use a standard referencing style.

·         Relate what you say extensively to your own proposed research – give brief examples from your research ‘domain’ where possible.

·         Since this is early in you research this will involve considerable guesswork on your part as to what your research will consist of, don’t worry about this – speculation will assist in critical reflection.

·         Nobody is going to hold you to any philosophical positions or arguments you make – the point is to test your awareness and understanding of the issues, as it may be relevant to your research. You are not being assessed on the validity of your metaphysics, but on the consistency and clarity of your epistemic position.

·         Be critical of your own position – a reflexive awareness of the difficulties of any approach/position is more important (in this assignment) than trying to defend any particular position.

For further advice contact one of:

 

Robin Holt, email: r.holt@mmu.ac.uk, Tel: (0161) 247 3738, Room: 606

Bruce Edmonds, email: b.edmonds@mmu.ac.uk, tel: (0161) 247 6479, Room: 101