How we can reliably know that what we are thinking, what we are perceiving and seeing, and what we understand to be real, is genuinely reflective of something concrete, true and reliable?

In what ways might we, as humans, unknowingly get stuck in ways of thinking and being (cognition) that justify us in not fully seeing or perceiving the objects, animals and persons that we engage with? How might this lead us to misrecognise the identity or specificity of that object, animal or person, and how might this impact on our shared lives and activity, on our work or practice, and on our research?

On this module, we will philosophically explore the ways in which human beings (both as individuals and collectively in groups) think about the world, perceive the world, generate knowledge and reproduce social realities. We will also draw on examples and literature across cognitive theory, critical philosophy of ‘race', psychoanalysis, gender theory, and neuroscience, to explore case studies of various historical moments when humans have not fully recognised the dignity of their others, and have been justified in doing so by the concepts, categories and language dominant in their culture. We will consider the ways in which our cultural modes of thinking often blind us to the genuine reality of the world around us, and give us reasons to simultaneously see, yet not fully see the objects, animals, environments, and persons that we engage with.

In this sense, philosophical ideas about mind and knowledge (epistemology) will also be made relevant to more political ideas about social justice, recognition, and principals of social organisation that might lead to optimal human flourishing.

We will think through the implications of this work for both 1) the evaluation and design of research methods, and 2) for responsible, reflexive practice as an educator or - indeed - anyone else with the responsibility for the development of others.

On this module, students are not only asked to learn about philosophy/philosophers, but are given the tools to do their own philosophical research.

Previous coursework topics have included:

a reflection on what kind of ethical education medical students might need to prepare them to fully see their patients holistically and not merely institutionally;
	the ways in which ‘race’ and ethnicity are merely socially constructed concepts that have - nevertheless - justified mass human rights abuses;
	the way in which gendered categories have supported sexist practices and research outcomes;
	a reflection on the ways in which critical work in cognitive theory might help us to evaluate research questions and methods;
	an evaluation of the ethics of grouping students by ability in school classrooms;
	an exploration of the ways in which cultural ways of thinking and being might blind us to the damage we do to the environment, and/or animals as part of the meat industry.
General Aims of Module:

To help students develop critical definitions of key terms in the philosophy of knowledge (epistemology) and being (ontology), in particular in relation to the limitations of human thought, reasoning, rationality and perception.
	To provide students with material to reflect on the ways in which a critical understanding/appreciation of knowledge and being are important 1) within the evaluation and design of education and social science research methodologies, and 2) in educational practice more generally.
	To introduce students to a number of key philosophical texts within the philosophy of mind and knowledge, while demonstrating the ways in which these texts can be brought into conversation with 1) contemporary research, and 2) literature from outside of philosophy that addresses similar questions.
	To provide students with the opportunity to critically apply philosophical tools to practical contemporary issues, and to explore philosophy as a research method.