This course is a philosophical investigation into the first-person perspective, drawing from phenomenology as well as analytical philosophy and science. In recent decades we have experienced a true “consciousness boom”. There has been much talk about how to capture and define consciousness empirically or functionally. But that’s perhaps is too narrow in its approach. We all know what “being me” amounts to, that natural phenomenon of opening one’s eyes in the morning and finding oneself inescapably in the same body as the evening before. We are all too aware how bound up we are with ourselves. So how is it so complicated to say what subjective consciousness is? And why should other living things not have precisely the same understanding of themselves? Being the locus of experience requires neither the ability to focus one’s attention on oneself in any way, nor the mental resources to make the condition an explicit topic of reflection. Another question is that of the relation between the We and the I. How does subjectivity relate to the intersubjectivity of a group experience? And to push it further, are there indeed forms of subjectivity entirely distinct in their phenomenology? Could we ever find out?
The First Person Perspective: From Phenomenal Consciousness to Intersubjectivity
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Courses starts: 22 Apr 2025
Week 1: The miracle and mystery of the first-person perspective, introduction
Week 2: Primitive or pre-reflective subjectivity (animals)
Week 3: Various concepts of consciousness (streams of consciousness, inner consciousness)
Week 4: Time-consciousness (Husserl, Heidegger, Bergson)
Week 5: Levels of consciousness: Attention, reflection, deliberation
Week 6: Consciousness and selfhood
Week 7: Self and the Other
Week 8: Self and glitches in self-formation (missing “theory of mind”, autism?)
Week 9: Intersubjectivity and the relation between the We and the I
Week 10: Exploring the boundaries: alien and artificial forms of subjectivity
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Certification
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £285.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £30.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Dr Julia Weckend
Julia has taught philosophy at the Universities of Reading and Southampton before joining Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education in 2014. She regularly teaches weekly classes as well as courses for Oxford University Summer School for Adults and Oxford Experience. Her academic research focusses on issues in metaphysics and epistemology. She has published papers and edited two volumes in the history of philosophy, and co-authored the Historical Dictionary of Leibniz’s Philosophy (2023).
Course aims
To gain an understanding of the key themes in the philosophical study of subjectivity, the structure of first-person experiences, consciousness, selfhood, and intersubjectivity.
Course objectives:
- To become familiar with the central issues that preoccupy the philosophy of consciousness, subjectivity and intersubjecticvity
- To examine and evaluate a number of philosophical conceptions including objections and responses
- To read and critically discuss a set of philosophical literature on the above topics
Teaching methods
Interactive powerpoint lectures accompanied by a weekly handout. Students will also occasionally be asked to read an encyclopedia entry (SEP), or relevant paper or chapter from a book in preparation of the seminar discussions.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be able to understand the main philosophical issues concerning the philosophy of consciousness, subjectivity and intersubjectivity on both the phenomenological and the analytical tradition;
- articulate and describe the main distinctions and ideas concerning the first-person perspective and issues they trade upon
- constructively but critically evaluate the positions that have been explored and develop a position of your own.
Assessment methods
Option A. Assessment will be by means of three mini essays of 500 words each
or
Option B. Assessment will be by means of a single project equating to an essay of 1,500 words. It is recommended to submit a plan, set of notes, or first draft of the assignment before the end of the course.
or
Alternatively, it is possible to get accreditation by giving a 10-minute presentation on a topic that is arranged prior to the talk. You will need to turn in your lecture notes an evidence of course work submission.
Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
Application
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)
Level and demands
No prior philosophical knowledge of this or related topics is required, although it is always of advantage when tackling philosophical questions.
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.