Fundamentals of the Humanities
In this course, students from the all Research MA programmes offered by the Research Institute for History and Culture will acquire insight and knowledge about recent and contemporary debates concerning the genealogy and the future of the humanities. What challenges do the humanistic scholars of tomorrow face? Among the topics that will be addressed: the interaction between humanities and society; differences and common grounds between humanities and social sciences; the pitfalls and challenges of interdisciplinary scholarship, and the responsibilities of scholars and intellectuals.

Students will read and discuss contributions to these debates from different disciplines and interdisciplinary backgrounds. They will become acquainted with themes and methods in fields other than their own, and they will compare these with theories and practices in their own initial discipline. Students will analyse and evaluate different visions on the value and significance of scholarship in the humanities and the social sciences.