BA1001 - Time, Truth, and the Human Condition

Credit points:	03
Year:	2011
Student Contribution Band:	Band 1
Administered by:	School of Arts & Social Sciences

This core subject for the Bachelor of Arts investigates ideas of 'truth' and 'ways of knowing' as they have developed over time. We study how these ideas have evolved, mutated and collided with each other with relation to specific places, times and cultures. One key aim is to provide an overview history of attempts to understand the world, and to show how this history has led to present circumstances; another is to develop the skills required to continue this story. Discussions concentrate on western traditions, but include important examples from elsewhere. Lecture topics range from competing ideas about our origins as a specie to key philosophical, religious and scientific views of the world and the place of humanity within it.

Learning Outcomes

• explore a range of academic resources and evaluate their accuracy and relevance;
• draw connections between ideas of truth and their time and place;
• work independently and in a group;
• synthesize and communicate complex ideas using appropriate terms and technologies;
• compare different traditions of thought and associated ways of knowing.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The ability to find and access information using appropriate media and technologies;
• The ability to evaluate that information;
• The ability to speak and write clearly, coherently and creatively;
• The ability to work individually and independently.

Availabilities
Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 24-Mar-2011
Coordinator:	Dr Nigel Chang
Lecturers:	Dr Greg Manning, Ms Agnes Hannan, Dr Allison Craven, Dr Nigel Chang, Dr Claire Brennan.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 12 hours tutorials
Assessment:	presentations (40%); multidraft Essays (30%); assignments (30%).
Cairns, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 24-Mar-2011
Coordinator:	Assoc. Professor Richard Lansdown
Lecturers:	Assoc. Professor Richard Lansdown, Assoc. Professor Stephen Torre, Dr Janice Wegner.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 12 hours tutorials
Assessment:	presentations (40%); multidraft Essays (30%); assignments (30%).
External, Study Period 1
Census Date 24-Mar-2011
Coordinator:	Dr Nigel Chang
Contact hours:	24 hours lectures - Available from LearnJCU site 12 hours - Web-board tutorials
Method of Delivery:	WWW - LearnJCU
Assessment:	presentations (40%); multidraft Essays (30%); assignments (30%).
JCU Singapore, Internal, Study Period 52
Census Date 21-Jul-2011
Coordinator:	Dr Allison Craven
Lecturers:	Dr Nigel Chang, Ms Carol Thirumaran.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 12 hours tutorials
Assessment:	presentations (40%); multidraft Essays (30%); assignments (30%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.