PY4648 Conceptual Engineering and its Role in Philosophy

2025 to 2026 Semester 2

Curricular information may be subject to change

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable

To be confirmed.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr P M Greenough

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

To be confirmed

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

The module provides an introduction to the ways in which we can criticise and improve our concepts - what is sometimes called 'conceptual engineering'. The concepts we have can be problematic for a number of reasons: they can be politically or ethically objectionable, inconsistent, unacceptably indeterminate or vague, or have other undesirable features. One task of philosophy is to discover such conceptual deficiencies and provide strategies for improving our conceptual repertoire. We may ask, for instance: should a theory of truth describe our concept of truth, or replace it with a better one? Is one goal of political philosophy to improve the concepts we use for thinking about social reality? If the answer to such questions is yes, then how do we go about doing it?

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS PY1006 OR PASS PY1012

Anti-requisites

YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS MODULE IF YOU TAKE PY4601

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment