MRes: The Philosophy of Knowledge

Section 1:

• 30^th September 2009, Critical Thinking: About Argument
• 8^th October 2009, Critical Thinking: Authority and Dissent
• 22^nd October 2009, Critical Thinking: Skills in Reading Journal Articles

Section 2:

• 23^rd April, 7^th May, 20^th May, 21^st May,  2010 , Introduction to the Philosophy of Knowledge sessions
• Followed by the assignment due 3^rd June 2010
• Follow up and feedback to assignment: 17^th and 18^th June 2010

Information about the course:

Is available from: http://cfpm.org/mres

The aims of the course:

To help you reflect upon the practice and nature of your research.  To make you aware of the problems and nature of the kinds of knowledge you are dealing with.  To equip you for some of the philosophical arguments you might meet by helping you to understand them.  To give you a starting point for understanding this aspect of academic thought more.

• Section 1 is an introduction into the European Tradition of Analytic (and Academic) Thought – argument, assessing written presentations, and the academic literature. 
• Section 2 is an introduction to some of the main themes, disputes and positions in the Philosophy of (Social) Science. 

Assessment:

Is via a written 5000 word essay – an assignment due 3^rd June 2010.  Basically is designed to be the makings of a subsection of any eventual thesis, outlining the relevant philosophical positions and arguments relevant to your research.  After the assignments are marked discussions to help refine and assess the arguments occur 1-1 with me and as presentations to the group, to prepare students for their PhD.

About me:

I am Bruce Edmonds, Director and Senior Research Fellow of the Centre for Policy Modelling, a centre dedicated to research in the Business School.  Information about the CPM can be found at:  http://cfpm.org and about me at http://bruce.edmonds.name

Contact details can be found on my web site, my office is Room 101 just to the left of the lifts on the 1^st floor of the Aytoun building.  My Email is bruce@edmonds.name my MMU telephone number is (0161) 247 6479.