BASS Sociology and Criminology / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Philosophy of Mathematics

Course unit fact file
Unit code PHIL30721
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? Yes

Overview

This course will introduce students to the lively contemporary debate over the metaphysics of mathematics. Are there such things as numbers (or other mathematical objects)? If so, what they are like, and how do we manage to acquire knowledge of them? If these objects do not exist, then what is it that we know when we know that 2+2=4? 

Discussion of technicalities will be kept to a minimum, and no special expertise in mathematics will be assumed. The arguments discussed raise important questions about the relation of philosophy to mathematics, science, and ordinary talk and belief; the course will place particular stress on these issues.

Aims

The unit aims to: 

— give a detailed understanding of some important debates within contemporary philosophy of mathematics; 

— enable students to engage critically with some recent contributions to these debates; and 

— enhance students' powers of critical analysis, reasoning and independent thought. 

Learning outcomes

Teaching and learning methods

-Lectures (20 hours): delivery of content. 

-Tutorials (10 hours): small group discussion will facilitate student engagement. 

-Office Hours: students will have access to the course convenor through regular office hours. 

-VLE: learning materials (reading lists, lecture slides, etc.) available online (asynchronous). 

-Essay Plans: students will be encouraged to submit essay plans for formative feedback.

Knowledge and understanding

-Understand in detail some important debates within contemporary philosophy of mathematics.

Intellectual skills

-Engage critically with Twentieth and Twenty-First Century  contributions to these debates.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

-Present carefully-argued and independent lines of thought.

-Undertake independent research. 

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Innovation/creativity
Leadership
Project management
Oral communication
Problem solving
Research
Written communication

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 50%
Written assignment (inc essay) 50%

Essay 1 x2000 words, 50%

Essay 2 x2000 words, 50%

Feedback methods

There will be a compulsory take-home mock exam on which you will receive written feedback.

We also draw your attention to the variety of generic forms of feedback available to you on this as on all SoSS courses. These include: meeting the lecturer/tutor during their office hours; e-mailing questions to the lecturer/tutor; asking questions from the lecturer (before and after lectures); and obtaining feedback from your peers during tutorials.

The School of Social Sciences (SoSS) is committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to students on their academic progress and achievement, thereby enabling students to reflect on their progress and plan their academic and skills development effectively. Students are reminded that feedback is necessarily responsive: only when a student has done a certain amount of work and approaches us with it at the appropriate fora is it possible for us to feed back on the student's work.

Recommended reading

The following reading list is indicative, and students are not required to read all the publications listed. 

Shapiro, Stewart 2000. Thinking About Mathematics, chapters 1 and 2. Colyvan, Mark 2001. The Indispensability of Mathematics, chapters 1, 2, 4, 5.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Tutorials 10
Independent study hours
Independent study 170

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
David Liggins Unit coordinator

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