Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LC Truth, Deception, and Ethics in Philosophy and Film
School	Phil, Theology and Religion
Department	Theology and Religion
Module Code	09 35157
Module Lead	Professor Nicholas Adams
Level	Certificate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-20 hours Seminar-10 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module addresses central issues at the intersection of philosophy, religion and ethics (the name of the programme into which it is introduced). These include the impact of faith and trust on action, the problem of being deceived (by religious and governmental institutions or by oneself), the possibility of ethics under conditions of radically incomplete knowledge, and the role of revelation in moral choices. The class is structured around three philosophical texts and four films. These will vary from year to year. Indicative texts are excerpts from Plato Republic, Descartes Meditations, Kierkegaard Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Indicative films include Twelve Monkeys, Dark City, The Matrix, Memento. The themes explored may include illusion, appearance and reality, perception, deception, memory, trust, faith, however these may vary from year to year. The themes in the philosophical classic texts will be analysed in the films. Students will produce film reviews that correlate the texts and the films through the themes. The module will incorporate an ‘essay skills’ component, which will include exercises in précis, referencing, structure, first and second drafts, among others. Students will have an opportunity present drafts or rough cuts for class discussion. This will be neither compulsory nor summatively assessed.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: rehearse the main themes in the set philosophical texts and explain the philosophical arguments they introduce; differentiate the claims of the texts from the claims of their scholarly interpreters; identify the themes common to both the set texts and the films; interpret the films so as to show how the philosophical themes are taken up and transformed.
Assessment	35157-03 : 1000-1500 word Written Review OR 5-10 min Video Review : Coursework (25%) 35157-04 : 2500 word Written Review OR 10-15 min Video Review : Coursework (75%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: There are two parts to the assessment. 1. A rough draft of either a written review (1000-1500 words) or video review (5-10 minutes) of ONE of the set films (25% of total assessment). 2. A film review of ONE of the set films, either as a written piece or a video review. If written, the length should be 2500 words. If a video review it should be 10-15 minutes long. (75% of total assessment). Reassessment: Resubmission of assessment (in the same mode as previously submitted).
Other
Reading List