Module manager: Colette Olive
Email: c.m.olive@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module is about how Western philosophy, as a distinct approach to intellectual enquiry, has developed through history. It examines a selection of thinkers who influenced its development, potentially going back as far as the Ancient Greeks and extending to the Eighteenth Century. It locates those thinkers in their historical context, which includes exploring presuppositions of their work and time, to help elucidate — and hold up to scrutiny — both their thought and ours. It will also compare or contrast these thinkers with work from other philosophical traditions, and/or women working at the same time and in the same Western philosophical tradition whose work has been neglected. Students can then form their own views about the merits of ‘the canon’ at the same time as developing a good grasp of the roots of modern Western philosophy.
The module aims to provide students with a basic understanding of some important philosophical ideas in the history of Western philosophy, and of the historical contexts within which they arose. It also aims to give students a perspective on the history of Western philosophy itself, by setting the development of Western philosophy within a broader perspective that encompasses thinkers who have traditionally been neglected and/or other, non-Western philosophical traditions.
These objectives will be achieved through:
- Lectures, where key thinkers, texts, positions and arguments concerning a range of philosophical topics, drawn from a range of philosophical periods, are introduced, including some thinkers and text from outside of the traditional Western ‘canon’;
- Tutorials, where particular texts will be discussed in detail;
- Independent study, involving wider reading, close study of specific philosophical texts, and critical analysis of the main ideas and arguments they contain.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
LO1: Explain and evaluate some historically important philosophical views and arguments;
LO2: Reconstruct and explain views and/or arguments from primary source material from the history of philosophy;
LO3: Effectively deploy key terminology that expresses philosophical ideas;
LO4: Construct a well-structured simple philosophical argument.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
LO5: Communicate your ideas and understanding clearly and concisely, using appropriate academic language (Academic and Work Ready skill)
LO6: Search for and utilise appropriate material to support knowledge and analysis of topics (Academic, Work Ready, and Digital skill)
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 14 | 1 | 14 |
| Seminars | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Private study hours | 178 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 22 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Each student is invited to complete ONE piece of formative work which will receive written feedback.
The piece of formative work will consist of a short essay OR a text interpretation exercise, taken from a choice of questions that are different to (but similar in form to) the summative assessment questions.
Students should read and reflect on (i) the PRHS marking criteria and (ii) the specific guidance provided on the summative assessment in this module, and identify for themselves the type of formative feedback that will be most beneficial for them.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 75 |
| Assignment | Text interpretation | 25 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
In both cases, the resit requirement will be to choose a question from the original assessment that the student has not already submitted an answer to.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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