PHIL2685: Semester 2, 2023

University home

Library

Current students

Staff intranet

Find an event

Give

Current students

Units PHIL2685 Semester 2 2023 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

PHIL2685: Unruly Women

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

We are often told that until the mid-twentieth century women made no substantial contributions to philosophical movements and agendas. The aim of this unit is to challenge this assumption. We will explore the works of women philosophers from the ancient to the modern period and show how they participated in contemporary debates and shaped philosophical agendas in exciting and radical ways. We will consider the reasons why women have been continually marginalized in the history of philosophy, investigate the notion of a philosophical canon, and assess how our practices as philosophers have contributed to this marginalization.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	PHIL2685
Academic unit	Philosophy
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 1000 level in Philosophy or 6 credit points at 1000 level in Philosophy and 6 credit points at 1000 level in Gender Studies or Ancient History or History
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Emily Hulme, emily.hulme@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Essay 2 essay	50%	Formal exam period Due date: 14 Nov 2023 at 23:59	2250 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay 1 essay	50%	Week 06 Due date: 08 Sep 2023 at 23:59	2250 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Essay 1
Essay 2

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction; Greek Philosophy 1: Must Philosophers Have Beards?	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Greek Philosophy 2: Sexuality; Fidelity; There’s No Right Way to Do a Breakup, but There Might Be a Wrong Way	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Greek Philosophy 3: Aspasia and Other Platonic-Socratic women	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Greek Philosophy 4: Women’s Roles and Excellences	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	19th c. Philosophy 1: Can Women Read and Write? Women’s Education and Place in Cultural Life	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	19th c. Philosophy 2: The Nature of Vocation, the Vocation of Nature	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	19th c. Philosophy 3: What do we do with what Nietzsche (and others!) said about women? Nietzsche and Hedwig Dohm	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	19th c. Philosophy 4: Intersectionality: Are Women’s Rights also Worker’s Rights?	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Contemporary Philosophy 1: Speaking for Others?: Clara Zetkin, Angela Davis, and Linda Alcoff	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Contemporary Philosophy 2: The History of (Women in) Philosophy	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Contemporary Philosophy 3: The Politics of Sex	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Contemporary Philosophy 4: Feminism and de Beauvoir	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Conclusions; revision week	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate an understanding of key figures in the history of women in philosophy
LO2. Engage critically with notion of a philosophical canon
LO3. Identify the relationships between key figures discussed and wider philosophical movements
LO4. Analyze complex philosophical texts from a range of traditions and historical time periods
LO5. Engage charitably with ideas in the history of philosophy which may differ greatly from our own

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

new unit

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect