Main Currents in the History of Philosophy

3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 1021078ANR for all students in the 1st semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

History, Archaeology, Arts, Philosophy and Ethics

Educational team

Tammy Castelein (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture
12 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals

Course Content

The course is divided into two series of lectures (Dutch: college)

Only the A lectures are required for students following the course for 3 ECTS.:

- College A: a historical and systematic overview of the major currents in Western philosophy from Greek Antiquity to Nietzsche.

The lectures consist of five parts: (i) philosophy of Antiquity, (ii) the Middle Ages, (iii) Renaissance, (iv) modern philosophy, and (v) 19th-century philosophy. Following currents are discussed in the lectures: materialism, dialectical thinking, sophistry, idealism, hylemorphism, epicurism, stoicism and skepticism, monism and dualism, scholasticism, Islamic medieval philosophy, humanism, rationalism, empiricism, Enlightenment, transcendental philosophy, German idealism.

- College B: detailed discussion and critical analysis of several key 20th century philosophers. In academic year 2024/25, we will focus on (among others) Freud, Heidegger, the Frankfurter Schule, Foucault, Hannah Arendt, Deleuze. Attention will also be paid to contemporary developments such as de- and postcolonialism and gender philosophy.

Course material

Practical course material (Recommended) : Eigen notitites
Digital course material (Required) : Digitaal cursusmateriaal (vereist): Handboek College A: Else Walravens, De verwondering. Een geschiedenis van de westerse filosofie van Thales tot Nietzsche. VUB Press (2012)., Alle studiemateriaal zal op Canvas ter beschikking gesteld worden.
Digital course material (Required) : Digitaal cursusmateriaal (vereist): Teksten College B, Alle studiemateriaal zal op Canvas ter beschikking gesteld worden.

Additional info

Presence at the lectures is strongly recommended: during the first lesson all practical information is communicated, at the beginning of each lecture, there will be a Q&A session on the content of the previous lecture, the content of the all lectures is also part of the course material.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

- The students know the different interpretations that have been given to the words "philosophy", "being", "freedom", "emancipation", "subject", "object", "male", "female" and "man" in the history of Western thought.
- The students master the fundamental concepts, arguments, and theories of the most relevant philosophical theories from Antiquity to the 20th century.
- The students are able to explain the historical and conceptual relations between philosophers, philosophical schools and currents.
- The students can identify in the discussed philosophers the historical and cultural limitations and the socio-economic conditions that make each philosophy possible.
- Students can identify the technical terminology of each philosopher discussed.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

permanent evaluation with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context