PHIL20710 Body, Mind, World

Academic Year 2021/2022

In this module we explore the interrelation between mind and body particularly in terms of 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 illness -- and especially mental illness -- as a disruption of the relationship with other people and with the world.

In this module we 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 (such as IVF and surrogacy), as well as embodied aspects of identity such as gender, race, disability and sexuality.

We also consider the way in which the body is viewed in a clinical or medical setting in contrast to the lived experience of illness. Here the body is not understood as a machine, instead we will examine the experience of living as an embodied person in the world and the role played by social attitudes toward constructions of normalcy and abnormality, health and illness. The module will be of interest to those in philosophy, humanities and social sciences, but also medicine, nursing and related disciplines including medical humanities.

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

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Curricular information is subject to change

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 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 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 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) A short summary due in week four; (2) a creative assignment due in week 7; (3) a final essay due at the end the semester. Further and final information will be provided in lectures.


Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20
Tutorial

7
Autonomous Student Learning

98
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures, tutorials, independent learning, feedback on assignments.


 
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 Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Essay: Final Essay Week 12 n/a Graded Yes

55
Assignment: Short Summary Week 4 n/a Graded Yes

20
Assignment: Creative Assignment Week 7 n/a Graded No

25

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
Ms Denise Kelly Tutor