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Cursus: UCHUMPHI11
UCHUMPHI11
Introduction to Philosophy
Cursus informatie
CursuscodeUCHUMPHI11
Studiepunten (EC)7,5
Inhoud

Content
Philosophy comprises a wide range of subjects and a long history of human thought. For two and a half millennia, its problems and arguments have helped to articulate religious and political movements, to inspire art and literature, and to shape societies and civilizations. This course is an introduction to the discipline of philosophy, its authors, its history, its methods, and last but not least, its arguments.

The professor extends an invitation to the students to hear twenty-four centuries of western philosophers reflecting on large questions such as (1) What, basically, is there? (2) Do we really know what we think we know? (3) How should we act and who should we choose to be? These are theoretical questions, but many of them have enormous practical implications. Furthermore, the questions are interconnected: our view on what there is relates both to our view on what insures reliable knowledge, and to our view on how to derive evaluation from description. By tracing the connections between these questions, philosophy helps to articulate a consistent, coherent world-view.

Designed as a self-contained presentation of the subject, providing a basis for more advanced work, this course introduces participants to the major areas of contemporary philosophy and to the significant stages of philosophy’s historical development.

Aim
After completing this course students are able to:

  • organize human thought in systematic and historical perspective,
  • identify seminal ideas of central figures in the history of thought,
  • report and comment decisively, not only orally but especially in writing, on the arguments philosophers offer for and against these ideas in their writings.

Format
The class meets twice a week for two hours. Students prepare for class by studying the texts assigned, primarily brief extracts from certain philosophers’ own works. Classes are then devoted to discussions on the readings which are organized thematically, as is the course-book. Students must refer to the study questions provided in the book and/or to the questions provided by the instructors.

Students are responsible for the elaboration of two essays on different topics, there are several quizzes, and a comprehensive final exam ends the course. During the course, students are continually assessed on their attendance, participation, and preparedness, keeping in mind that more participation is not always the same as better participation.

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