Department of Philosophy

Philosophical Methodology II(PH258)

Course Code Course Name Semester Theory Practice Lab Credit ECTS
PH258 Philosophical Methodology II 4 3 0 0 3 4
Prerequisites
Admission Requirements
Language of Instruction French
Course Type Compulsory
Course Level Bachelor Degree
Course Instructor(s) İhsan Hayri BATUR ihsanbatur@gmail.com (Email)
Assistant
Objective As a follow-up course of the “PH257 - Philosophical Methodology I”, this course has a two-fold objective: on the one hand, it aims to further develop the reading and comprehension skills that students have acquired during the previous semester, and on the other hand to provide them with necessary tools which will help them better understand the texts of great philosophers like Descartes, Spinoza or Rousseau.
Content The main part of this course focuses on reading and explaining (in French) some of the most important texts of history of philosophy written by Descartes, Spinoza and Rousseau. During the semester, participants will have to write several explanations and commentaries on these works.
Course Learning Outcomes Students who have already acquired the necessary skills to read, explain, analyze and comment on philosophical texts, will be able to make additional progress in this area and, through the works of Descartes, Spinoza and Rousseau, will obtain the ability to address some of the most profound and multifaceted philosophical doctrines and problems.
Teaching and Learning Methods Reading, explaning and analyzing philosophical texts.
References Ph. Choulet, D. Folscheid, J.-J. Wunenburger, Methodologie philosophique, PUF " Quadrige".
Descartes, Principes de la philosophie.
Descartes, Méditations métaphysiques.
Spinoza, Ethique.
Spinoza, Traité théologico-politique.
Rousseau, Discours sur l'origine et les fondements de l'inégalité parmi les hommes.
Rousseau, Essai sur l'origine des langues.
Print the course contents
Theory Topics
Week Weekly Contents
1 Week 1: Introduction to the Course and Overview of the Pillars * Review of Philosophical Methodology 1 * Overview of the Three Pillars: Technical skills, philosophical mindset, and methods * Objectives and Expectations for the Semester * Workshop: Writing a professional email in an academic context
2 Week 2: Crafting a CV and University Resume * Technical Skills: How to write a strong academic CV and résumé * Philosophical Mindset: Reflections on “productive stupidity” * Methodology: Adapting résumés for scholarships, research positions, and job applications * Workshop: Review and critique examples of CVs
3 Week 3: Writing Research Proposals * Technical Skills: Components of a successful research proposal (title, abstract, objectives, methodology, expected outcomes) * Philosophical Mindset: How research proposals shape intellectual projects * Methodology: Common mistakes in research proposals and how to avoid them * Workshop: Drafting a proposal on a chosen philosophical topic
4 Week 4: Structuring Philosophical Papers and Analyzing Research Articles * Technical Skills: How to structure and compose a philosophical research paper * Philosophical Mindset: What differentiates philosophical writing from other academic genres * Methodology: Key tips for reading complex academic texts * Workshop: Deconstructing the structure of a selected research article
5 Week 5: Write to be Read – Workshop with an International Journalist * Technical Skills: How to write philosophical or academic texts accessible to a wider audience * Philosophical Mindset: The importance of making philosophical ideas relevant and readable to a wide audience * Methodology: Strategies to capture readers' attention and structure complex arguments in an understandable way * Workshop: Practical workshop on writing with a guest journalist, specialized in popularizing philosophical ideas
6 Week 6: The Philosophical Mindset – Philosophy vs. Religion, Ideology, and Myth * Philosophical Mindset: Distinguishing philosophical thought from religious, ideological, and mythological thinking * Methodology: Case studies of philosophical challenges to myth, religion, and ideology * Technical Skills: Writing essays that address the intersection of philosophy and other belief systems * Discussion: Can philosophy coexist with other worldviews?
7 Week 7: Developing Research Questions and Identifying Gaps * Technical Skills: How to formulate meaningful research questions in philosophy * Philosophical Mindset: The role of curiosity and inquiry in the philosophical tradition * Methodology: Identifying research gaps in existing literature * Workshop: Crafting strong research questions and identifying literature gaps
8 Week 8: Conceptual Analysis and Logical Methodology * Technical Skills: How to perform conceptual analysis and define philosophical concepts * Philosophical Mindset: The importance of precision in philosophical thinking * Methodology: Using deductive reasoning in philosophical arguments * Workshop: Analyzing a selected concept using conceptual analysis
9 Week 9: Critical Analysis, Dialectics, and Thought Experiments * Philosophical Mindset: The value of critical thinking and dialectics in philosophical discourse * Methodology: Exploring the use of thought experiments and dialectics to challenge assumptions * Technical Skills: Structuring dialectical essays and discussions * Workshop: Constructing a thought experiment and applying the dialectical method
10 Week 10: Phenomenological and Hermeneutical Methods * Philosophical Mindset: Understanding the first-person experience and text interpretation * Methodology: Phenomenology (Husserl) and hermeneutics (Gadamer) in philosophy * Technical Skills: How to apply these methods to philosophical texts * Workshop: Applying phenomenological and hermeneutical methods to a selected text
11 Week 11: Historical and Genealogical Approaches in Philosophy * Philosophical Mindset: Understanding philosophical ideas in historical context * Methodology: Genealogical analysis (e.g., Nietzsche) and tracing the development of philosophical concepts * Technical Skills: Writing a genealogical analysis * Workshop: Analyzing the historical development of a concept using genealogical methods
12 Week 12: Comparative and Pragmatic Methods * Philosophical Mindset: Comparing philosophical ideas from different traditions * Methodology: Comparative philosophy (e.g., Eastern vs. Western traditions), Pragmatism (Peirce, Dewey, Rorty) * Technical Skills: Writing comparative analyses of philosophical ideas * Workshop: Drafting a comparative analysis of two philosophical traditions
13 Week 13: Transcendental, Empirical, and Analytical vs. Continental Methods * Philosophical Mindset: Transcendental methods (e.g., Kant) and the split between analytic and continental traditions * Methodology: Empirical approaches in philosophy, contrasting analytical and continental methodologies * Technical Skills: Developing research methodologies that incorporate one or more of these approaches * Workshop: Formulating an essay methodology based on one of these approaches
14 Week 14: Metaphilosophy – Reflecting on the Nature of Philosophy * Philosophical Mindset: Questioning the nature, goals, and limits of philosophy * Methodology: Exploring metaphilosophical debates and their relevance to students' research * Technical Skills: Applying metaphilosophical insights to ongoing projects * Reflection: Which methodologies resonate most with students' philosophical work?
Practice Topics
Week Weekly Contents
Contribution to Overall Grade
  Number Contribution
Contribution of in-term studies to overall grade 0 0
Contribution of final exam to overall grade 0 0
Toplam 0 0
In-Term Studies
  Number Contribution
Assignments 0 0
Presentation 0 0
Midterm Examinations (including preparation) 0 0
Project 0 0
Laboratory 0 0
Other Applications 0 0
Quiz 0 0
Term Paper/ Project 0 0
Portfolio Study 0 0
Reports 0 0
Learning Diary 0 0
Thesis/ Project 0 0
Seminar 0 0
Other 0 0
Toplam 0 0
No Program Learning Outcomes Contribution
1 2 3 4 5
1 Analyze philosophical texts with analytical and critical rigor; X
2 Get an exhaustive knowledge on the history of philosophy; from antiquity to 20th century; X
3 Provide access to information and expertise in the fields of systematic philosophy, such as ethic, esthetic, history of science, philosophy of society; X
4 Establish the relation between philosophy and other fields of knowledge, such as, history, psychology, anthropology, sociology and other positive sciences; X
5 Learn the theories of political science and the philosophical evaluation of historical and actual events; X
6 Have a sufficient level of French and English in order to follow philosophical debates; X
7 Have a sufficient level of the ancient Greek, Latin and Ottoman languages for reading philosophical texts written in these; X
8 Develop a creative thinking and a knowledge of aesthetic theories which will allow the analysis of artworks and the history of art; X
9 Acquire academic research methods and writing ability as well as to develop analytical skills, interpretation and criticism. X
Activities Number Period Total Workload
Total Workload 0
Total Workload / 25 0.00
Credits ECTS 0
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