Course Description
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Course Name
Rationalism and Empiricism
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Host University
University College Dublin
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Location
Dublin, Ireland
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Area of Study
Philosophy
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Language Level
Taught In English
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Course Level Recommendations
Upper
ISA offers course level recommendations in an effort to facilitate the determination of course levels by credential evaluators.We advice each institution to have their own credentials evaluator make the final decision regrading course levels.
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ECTS Credits
5 -
Recommended U.S. Semester Credits2.5 - 3
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Recommended U.S. Quarter Units3.75 - 4.5
Hours & Credits
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Overview
How do modern treatments of substance and causality differ from what came before? Do we require certain
knowledge, or is probable knowledge enough? Do we really need to go outside nature to explain nature? Are
there such things as innate ideas, or is the mind at its beginning a 'blank slate' awaiting sense impressions
from outside? Does my identity lie in the unconscious, or in conscious experiences I can call my own, or both?
In this course we will explore these questions, and others, by looking at the contrasting ideas and arguments
put forward in the great philosophical traditions of Rationalism and Empiricism. Following a brief
consideration of Descartes' later work, the philosophers to be examined in most detail will be Spinoza, Locke,
Berkeley and Leibniz.
Course Disclaimer
Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.
Credits earned vary according to the policies of the students' home institutions. According to ISA policy and possible visa requirements, students must maintain full-time enrollment status, as determined by their home institutions, for the duration of the program.
ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits are converted to semester credits/quarter units differently among U.S. universities. Students should confirm the conversion scale used at their home university when determining credit transfer.
Please reference fall and spring course lists as not all courses are taught during both semesters.
Please note that some courses with locals have recommended prerequisite courses. It is the student's responsibility to consult any recommended prerequisites prior to enrolling in their course.