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PHIL20710

Academic Year 2024/2025

Body, Mind, World (PHIL20710)

Subject:
Philosophy
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Philosophy
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Danielle Petherbridge
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

In this module we explore the interrelation between mind and body particularly in terms of well-being, health and illness. Many people think of the mind being in the body like a driver in a vehicle. But it is more accurate to speak of embodied minds – our mental states are also embodied ones – and this also helps to us to understand our relationships with other people and with the world. This approach helps make better sense of well-being and illness -- especially mental illness -- as a disruption of the relationship with other people and with the world. We examine these issues in terms of the way they affect human action and shape our bodily habits, lived experience, and social identity.

In this module we may consider a range of conditions such as mental illness (anxiety, social phobias, depression, dementia), trauma and pain, as well as the lived experience of body change (eating disorders, amputation, cosmetic surgery), reproduction (pregnancy, birth, IVF and surrogacy), as well as embodied aspects of identity such as gender, race, disability and sexuality.

We may also address the roles played by social structures, constructions of personhood and sub-personhood, markers of normalcy and abnormality, and consider the ways the body is viewed in a clinical or medical setting in contrast to the lived experience of illness. (Please note topics might change and will be updated at the start of the semester).

The module will be of interest to those in philosophy, humanities and social sciences, but also medicine, nursing and related disciplines including medical humanities.

The module draws on phenomenological approaches and is a good companion course to PHIL20500 Phenomenology and Existentialism. It is not a prerequisite to have taken PHIL20500 to register for Body, Mind, World though.

If you are taking this module as an elective - you may be interested in pursuing a Structured Elective programme in Philosophy (this will entail taking two more Philosophy electives). Your University Transcript will show that you have a Structured Elective in Existential Philosophy & Critical Theory, as appropriate. For further details: See: https://www.ucd.ie/students/electives/structuredelectives.html

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

(1) Understand the relation between body and mind using a philosophical approach; (2) Be able to apply this method to critically analyze a range of different areas of human experience in relation to well-being, health and illness (such as mental illness, body amendment, reproduction, embodied aspects of identity such as gender, race, disability and sexuality); (3) Be able to critically examine social constructions of normalcy and normalization, as well as health and illness; (4) Appreciate the manner in which the mind is not only embodied but also related to others and the world; (5) Be able to read and comprehend philosophical approaches to a range of terms in relation to body and mind.

Indicative Module Content:

In this module we explore the interrelation between mind and body particularly in terms of well-being, health and illness. We may consider a range of conditions such as mental illness (anxiety, depression, dementia), trauma and pain, lived experience of body amendment (eating disorders, amputation, cosmetic surgery), reproduction (such as pregnancy, IVF and surrogacy), as well as embodied aspects of identity such as gender, race, disability and sexuality. The module considers these elements from the vantage point of our lived experience and the role played by social attitudes toward constructions of normalcy and abnormality, health and illness. The module will be of interest to those interested in philosophy, humanities and social sciences, but also medicine, nursing and related disciplines including medical humanities.

There are three components of assessment to this module: (1) An assignment due in week 6 (40%); (2) a final assignment due at the end the semester (45%); (3) Participation in Tutorials (15%). Further and final information will be provided in lectures.

Please note, according to the UCD Generative AI Use in Module Assignments Traffic Light Warning System, the assignments in this module will adhere to the Amber Warning Light System. This means you may only use generative Al for assignments in this module for certain purposes only and only under the guidance of your module coordinator and within academic integrity guidelines. (‘Amber’)

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

98
Lectures

20
Tutorial

7
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures, tutorials, independent learning, feedback on assignments.

Please note, according to the UCD Generative AI Use in Module Assignments Traffic Light Warning System, the assignments in this module will adhere to the Amber Warning Light System. This means you may only use generative Al for assignments in this module for certain purposes only and only under the guidance of your module coordinator and within academic integrity guidelines. (‘Amber’)

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

It is recommended that students doing this module should have already done 3 stage 1 modules. You are advised to consult the module co-ordinator in advance of choosing this module if you have not done philosophy before.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): First Assignment Week 6 Graded Yes
40
 Yes
Assignment(Including Essay): Final Assignment Week 15 Graded Yes
45
 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: Participation in Tutorials Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10 Graded No
15
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be given to individual students post-assessment.

Name Role
Jonathan Wren Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Ms Denise Kelly Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 17:00 - 17:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 16:00 - 16:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 Thurs 10:00 - 10:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 2 Week(s) - 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 Thurs 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 3 Week(s) - 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 Thurs 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 4 Week(s) - 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 Thurs 13:00 - 13:50
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