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PHIL20780

Academic Year 2026/2027

Wittgenstein (PHIL20780)

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

Curricular information is subject to change.

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) is one of the most important philosophers of the twentieth century. The course will begin with his first, enigmatic book, the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921), but proceeding to a primary focus on his posthumously published work, the Philosophical Investigations (1953), and from there to his outsized influence on later thinkers and philosophers. Topics covered include: the nature of philosophy, meaning and understanding, intentionality, the will, private experience and private language, normativity and rule-following, the 'first person', scepticism and certainty. Wittgenstein's influence was revolutionary and he remains a controversial figure both within and outside philosophy, especially for his apparently nihilistic approach to philosophy itself. Through close in-class discussions of the text and short written assignments in seminar-style, participative fashion (in-person attendance is essential!), we hope to bring out some of the excitement and deep puzzlement that Wittgenstein's writings continue to elicit in everyone, experts and beginners alike.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, students will be able to describe and critically engage with the main ideas and arguments concerning language, mind and the nature of rule-governed practices in Wittgenstein s later writings.

Indicative Module Content:

Topics covered include Wittgenstein and 20th century philosophy aon the following central problems:

The nature of philosophy,
meaning and understanding,
intentionality,
the will,
private experience,
the 'first person' ('I'),
scepticism and certainty.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

12
Tutorial

10
Specified Learning Activities

30
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Total

102

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module will be run as a series of face-to-face seminars (in-person attendance throughout is absolutely essential for this module) in which the students are expected to contribute and to have read and thought through the varoius extracts from Wittgenstein's writings and secondary articles in advance. Independent work on the texts, conceptual problem-solving in class, and presenting ideas in seminars and tutorials will enable students to develop their understanding of the philosophical ideas.

Regarding AI use, previous experience in this module has overwhelmingly shown that AI is especially ineffective in helping one to think through Wittgenstein's puzzling texts, and that student writing that has either been produced or 'cleaned up' by AI has received low grades. All writing in this module is required to be entirely the student's own in content and expression.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Participation in Learning Activities: Short assignments in tutorials Week 4, Week 8, Week 11 Graded No
15
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: One-question quiz at the start of each lecture. Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
25
 No
Exam (In-person): Final exam End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
60
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn 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?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Maria Agnese Casellato 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 10:00 - 10:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 2 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 14:00 - 14:50
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