Taught by: Dr Jane Loo
Content (Structure/Organization): 3
As the course title suggests, the first half of the semester focuses on philosophical theories of personal identity (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal), while the second half explores death in relation to immortality. This includes discussions on the definitions of death (which depend on what it means to be ‘you’), whether immortality leads to boredom, and whether we should live forever. There’s less emphasis on death itself compared to immortality, as the treatment of death in this course is typically framed in the context of immortality. Key questions include: Should we and can we escape death through uploading ourselves (if that’s possible)? Is transhumanism justified as a means to live forever and avoid death?
In terms of structure, each class is centered around a single reading for discussion. The first half of the semester is well-structured, following Kind’s (2015) book on personal identity. However, in the second half, as mentioned, the topic of death is addressed somewhat superficially, and this applies to the broader themes (death and immortality) as well, which are talked about through academic papers. This is largely because the latter half of the semester is heavily focused on preparing for the final paper. As the semester progresses, more time is devoted to explaining the format and guidelines for the research proposal and presentation, leaving less attention to the assigned readings.
The topics of death and immortality may feel disconnected, especially if your final paper focuses on the philosophical theories of personal identity discussed earlier in the semester. Even if you opt to write about death or immortality, the readings often don’t align well with your final paper since it must take an interdisciplinary approach. For many, the chosen topic ends up being unrelated to the course materials (this was my experience). Additionally, even if there is some overlap, you’ll need to read ahead because the final paper proposal is due in the same week as the last reading is covered.
Manageability of Workload: 3
NTW2032 requires a significant amount of time, though perhaps not as much as some other classes. On average, you should be prepared to spend at least 5 hours per week outside of class. Generally, NUSC zaps your time up, compared to your home faculty modules.
In addition to completing the readings, doing well on your papers involves understanding what Prof. Jane expects. This often means regularly emailing her to clarify her preferences and expectations. For example, many students, including myself, had their topic for the final paper completely overhauled after submitting their draft proposals and research presentations. As she likes to quip, "writing is rewriting."
Ease/Difficulty of Attaining Grades:
I don’t think her grading is lenient at all, especially given the nature of her feedback and advice (see point 3 below).
That said, an A- to A is achievable if you consistently make an effort to understand her preferences by frequently emailing her for guidance. A- is more common though. For instance, you may need to set aside your own preferences, even though the final research paper is supposed to be on any interdisciplinary topic of your choosing (this seems to be the consensus among classmates).
Learning Value/Recommendation: 2
I think NTW in general is useful only if you do not already know how to write academically (especially citations and bibliography). Don't expect to have a deep understanding of the topics or on writing for this particular NTW. Since I have some background, it is not particularly useful given the time I have put into it.
About the Instructor:
1.Although identity, death, and immortality are meant to be Prof Jane pet topics—this being the focus of her PhD dissertation—the course does not allow for deep exploration of these themes, and her answers to questions are often unsatisfying. For example, she once remarked, “I don’t know; the authors of the papers have to act like they know what they are talking about to get published.” Similarly, don’t expect her to go beyond the material in the readings or provide insights that aren’t already there. At times, confusions from the readings may remain unresolved.
2. She is not particularly open to face-to-face consultations --- there are no office hours; even if possible, these are typically limited to 15 minutes. (There is one mandated writing conference for both the mid-term paper and the final paper.) However, she is receptive to emails, especially close to deadlines, but she prefers them formatted in bullet points. If you need support, unfortunately, this is likely your best option.
3. Based on my experience and feedback from others, her grading can be surprising. For example, mid-term drafts often receive scant comments and are praised, only for the final grade to be lower than expected—such as a B+. This discrepancy arises only because issues that are supposed to be flagged during the draft stage are not, and then later seen as significant problems.
Additional Comments/Word of Advice:
Read my comments carefully.
2. The papers are written for an audience of Year 1 NUSC students, akin to what you’d find in a school academic magazine. She takes this requirement very seriously, emphasising simplicity far more than other professors. In my opinion, this makes it overly simplified. As such, don’t expect to engage deeply with philosophy or write extensively on complex topics (certain philosophical topics like four-dimensionalism, are outright banned!). This is especially true for the final paper, which must adopt an interdisciplinary approach.
3. Take this course if you’re looking for a manageable workload, are okay with no face-to-face consultations (aside from the required writing conferences), and don’t mind not delving deeply into the topics.
Content (Structure/Organization): 5
Like the course title, this NTW module talks about Identity, Death, Immortality, and beyond.
It is about philosophy of identity and philosophy of death, and we also touched on transhumanism and the topic of consciousness within mind-uploading.
The first half of the module was mostly about philosophy of identity, and the second half touches on other tangentially-related topics.
The course is well-structured, and Prof Jane Loo gives out detailed objectives to be met each lesson, and distributes these handouts so it is extremely easy to follow. The course is one of the more rigid ones (not in the sense that students are limited in their choice of topics), but in that the expectations of what is needed to be met for each assignment to score well.
Manageability of Workload: 4
This module is extremely relaxing. I spent little to a moderate amount of work on this course, compared to more taxing CS courses or even other humanties courses.
Ease/Difficulty of Attaining Grades:
Getting an A in this module is extremely achievable. It take a lot of time or effort, but rather a sharp mind and an ability to decipher what is needed to be included and what is not. The professor gives out good grades to those that meet her very transparent requirements, so if you follow her instructions, you will do well.
Learning Value/Recommendation: 4
As someone who already likes philosophical writing and writes rather well, I find NTW not very enlightening personally, I would describe it rather a relaxing trip down a lazy river. But I know many of my peers who do struggle because they are not used to academic writing, and no doubt with Prof. Jane's personal feedback and an eye for detail, they would benefit a lot.
About the Instructor:
The professor is knowledgable in the course subject domain. She specializes in philosophy of mind. She communicates and explains the concepts rather well. Her approach is rather hands-off sometimes, as we are supposed to bring on our interpretations of the text and of the topic in a flipped classroom model sometimes, which is something I welcome considering that she gives out handouts to help us know what to look for and what is expected out of each reading.