Christmas

End of Term

/ Pietro

Hello!

It’s almost end of term and I’m caught up in writing essays, which are due in a week or so. For my Darwinism and Philosophy module, I’m writing an essay on the concept of biological function, in which I try to pin down what exactly it means to say, for example, that the “function” of the heart is to pump blood, or that the “function” of the rattle in rattlesnakes is to deter predators. For my Continental Philosophy module, I’m writing an essay on Nietzsche’s book On the Genealogy of Morals, where I offer an interpretation of some of his central claims.

I also have, for my special subject module (see last week’s post), a mini-dissertation due at the beginning of next term, mid-January. Unfortunately, this means I’ll have to do some work among festive meals and Christmas celebrations. But, as much as I’d prefer 4 weeks of full relax, I’m (somewhat) looking forward to writing it, because the topic I’ve chosen interests me very much. I will engage with my lecturer’s view on what the good life (or well-being) is, and will put forward some objections in order to develop a slightly different take on the matter. To put it roughly, I’m going to argue that well-being is that condition where you develop and express your own capacities to their fullest potential and at the same time enjoy doing it.

Next week, I plan to take a break from essay writing and go to the Manchester Christmas markets. I’ve been there already in the last couple of years and really enjoyed the festive atmosphere, the mulled wine, and all the different things you can find at the various stands. It’s also quite easy to reach Manchester from Lancaster by train, which allows you to go in the afternoon and come back within the day.

Until next time!

Pietro

It’s (almost) Christmas!

/ Amy Hobbs

It’s finally here! The coveted end of term!

This has definitely been one of the most intense, hectic semesters I’ve ever had during my time here- but by far one of the most fulfilling!

On the 1st of December I went down to London to take part in an assessment centre for a graduate-job that I applied for. It was a nerve-wracking and emotionally draining day, but the whole experience was fantastic overall! Both the assessors and the other applicants were so friendly, and the activities that we had to do throughout the day (while challenging) were surprisingly enjoyable! I think the reason that I was a little nervous was because I was really passionate about getting a place on the programme. But that passion must have showed, because I got an offer!! The work didn’t stop there though; I’ve had to do a lot of subsequent work and assessments to secure my place. So, balancing all of that along with my uni essays has been challenging to say the least.

That didn’t stop the flow of university work though, so I’ve definitely had to prioritise and get myself organised over these past 10 weeks (my experiences and helpful advice can be found previous posts!). I had two essay deadlines for the end of this term, which I count myself lucky for, as some of my friends have had as many as four! Nevertheless, they have still been a lot of work.

For Continental Philosophy, I wrote about Friedrich Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morals and his account of the origins of morality as we know it, suffering and blame, and the creation of guilt. I spent a lot of time reading the Genealogy and using other sources to try to formulate my own interpretation of Nietzsche’s work whilst remaining close to what he wanted to argue. It took a lot of work as anyone who has read Nietzsche will know some of his work can be a little ‘out there’ at times! Despite this, I still found him really engaging and, as exaggerated as some of his rhetoric can be, I found myself considering his account and seeing and making links between his history of morality and my own experience and thoughts on morality in modern day. This is one of my favourite things in philosophy; the fact that the material you study can end up in you really questioning your views about the world, and even end up changing them!

In Darwinism and Philosophy I chose to write about whether thinking about evolution can help us to understand human psychology. This is a big topic with some quite technical language so it required a lot of concentration on my part. However, this has been, by far, one of my favourite essays that I have had to write in the whole time I’ve been here! I find the theory around the topic fascinating! I would definitely recommend reading into the topic if you have a combined interest in philosophy and psychology. I focused on Evolutionary Psychology, sociobiology and the criticisms of each (one of which is called ‘The Flintstones Fallacy’- who said philosophy can’t be fun?!). I initially thought I was going to argue that thinking about evolution could further our understanding of human psychology, but after going through my sources critically, I ended up arguing the opposite stance! That’s something else I like about philosophy; you think you know what your opinions are on something and that you’ll stick by them, but reading such engaging literature and talking to people with all kinds of different opinions really influences you to be open to changing your mind. Of course, I’m in my third year so I’ve had the past two years to get used to the course, but no matter what year you are in, please try to stick with the course! I find it quite humorous actually, back in first year I was struggling to make the 1500 word count, but now in third year I’m going way over my 3000 word count and having to cut my essays down! My point is; the course may seem difficult at times, but there will come a point where everything falls into place, and there are always people you can talk to if you’re really struggling to get some support.

As for my social life; it has been quite lacking of late! I think that is understandable though. This weekend my housemates and I are making up for it my doing a ‘Secret Santa’, watching Christmas films together, and going for the traditional end-of-term-celebratory drinks in the pub! It’s going to be great to spend time with everyone without deadlines being on everyone’s mind!

The Christmas break is going to be different for me, as I have two 5000 word essay due in for the first day back in January. So, I’m actually remaining in Lancaster for an extra week after term officially ends to work on those. One is for Feminist Philosophy in which I will be discussing and evaluating Simone de Beauvoir’s account of women’s oppression. The second is in Popular Music and Philosophy: I want to write about value judgements and authenticity in music alongside how music forms our identity. I’m not too sure where I want to take my argument yet, so I’m going in for an essay consultation tomorrow! I also have to write an abstract for my dissertation in which I will be doing a critical reading of Thomas Kuhn’s; ‘The Structure of Scientific Revolutions’, drawing moral parallels to his arguments, and assessing what this means for moral progress.

Even though there is work to be done, I’m still going to make sure I have at least a small break and visit home and spend Christmas and New Years with my family and friends! It’s going to be great to get into the festive spirit, not think about uni for a few days, and eat lots of food and not have to buy it for myself for a little while. Sometimes you just need some good old home comforts!

 

Keeping up with work over the holidays: Becky and Katie

/ Katie Work

Hello!

When it comes to going home Christmas, work tends to be the last thing you want to think about. You’re excited for Christmas, to see your friends from home, and to enjoy all the luxuries of home comforts. However, it is sometimes the case that you have deadlines for the beginning of next term and so you just have to spend some of your holiday working.

However, this is not the end of the world. With some good planning, you can get the work done without it taking over your whole break. We think that the best plan is to get as much done early in the holidays so that you can enjoy the rest of the break. This requires a lot of motivation and, as both of us have learned, may take some practice to master as it can be very tempting to leave the work til the end of the holidays. The key is making a good plan so that you do a little each day. This way, it never feels like it’s taking over your whole day, but you’ll also find that you’ll have got the majority of it finished pretty soon. If you can, try and get up early(ish) and get a couple hours done in the morning and then that can be it for the day!

It is most likely the case that you will have essays due in for January. If you want to be really prepared, you can start these essays before you even break up for the holiday. If you do this, we recommend just working on the plan, having a consultation with your tutor and getting some books out of the library. That way, you’ll have a headstart on your essay so you won’t have as much to tackle through the holiday. This is worthwhile especially if you have a job or other responsibilities back home that may be time consuming.

It may sound like a bit too much to say plan well and get ahead, but we think that it is most important to do this just so that you can actually have a proper break! You’ll have had a busy term and need a rest, which is why you’ll be so happy to have got the bulk of your work done early so you can really enjoy Christmas.

We hope you keep this in mind and that it helps to give you a proper rest during the holidays!

Becky and Katie x