Admission requirements
Admission to this course is restricted to students enrolled in the MA Philosophy 120 EC, specialisation Philosophy of Humanities.
This specialist course is mandatory for above mentioned students.
Description
The course investigates the issues arising from a philosophical analysis of the experience of engaging in play with a special concern for the implications of human play for worldview-creation. It covers much fo the standard philosophical literature on play, including Heraclitus, Kant and Schiller, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Huizinga, Gadamer, Caillois, Winnicott, and Axelos. Key topics include rule-following, mutual understanding, play and seriousness and make-believe.
Course objectives
This course aims to provide the students with a detailed view of:
the history of the concept of ‘play’ in Western philosophy;
the current state of the debate around ‘play’;
the implications of the experience of play for epistemology, ethics, aesthetics and ontology.
Students who successfully complete the course will have a good understanding of:
the history of the debates surrounding play (including cognitive and non-cognitive approaches, psychological, phenomenological and ontological approaches;
the metaphysical importance of play;
the relations between the philosophical and psychological views of play.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
critically understand, comment and interconnect specialized texts and theories relative to play;
critically engage with some of the latest secondary literature on play;
present a consistent and comprehensive view of the current problems of the field and explore possible avenues of research.
Timetable
The timetable is available on the MA Philosophy website
MA Philosophy 120 EC
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Class attendance is required.
Course Load
Total course load 10 EC x 28 hours = 280 hours
Attending seminars(14 weeks x 3 hrs): 42 hours
Study of literature: 80 hours
Preparation for seminars: 38 hours
Assignment: 40 hours
Presentation: 20 hours
Preparation assignments: 60 hours
Assessment method
Oral reading report on a primary text and abstract (30%)
Final paper on a question agreed in advance based on abstract submitted (65%)
Abstract for final paper (5%)
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average of several subtests. (midterm, final test). A subtest can be graded as unsatisfactory.
Resit
The resit will consists of one examination for all parts at once. The mark will replace all previously earned marks for subtests. No separate resits will be offered for mid-term tests.
The resit will be a thoroughly demanding survey take-home exam covering the entirety of the course materials, and including a text commentary, a series of short questions and an argumentative essay. There may be an added short oral examination.
Students will only be eligible for the resit if they have submitted/presented all other practical assignments the term. Students who have obtained a satisfactory grade for the first examination(s) cannot take the resit.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for posting texts, general information documents (syllabus etc), assignments and updates.
Reading list
The texts and reading schedule will be provided on Blackboard before the start of term.
Registration
Enrolment for courses and exams through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch
Students are strongly advised to register in uSis through the activity number which can be found in the timetables for and exams in the column under the heading “uSis-Actnbr”.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.
Contact
Remarks
Not applicable.