| Course/Subject
Name: |
Freedom of Teaching and Research |
| Course/Subject
id: |
|
| Level:
|
BA course, 2nd and 3rd year |
| Pre-requisites:
|
Completed introductory basis (1st year) in philosophy, or alternative approved by instructor |
| Start
Date: |
April |
| End
Date: |
July |
| Contact
Hours: |
3 hours per week |
| ECTS
Weighting: |
7.5 |
| Course/Subject
Outline: |
Arguments in favour of the freedom of research and the freedom of academic teaching are as old as science itself. But they also have a strong bearing on contemporary issues. Problems of applied ethics (such as experimentation with human stem cells) as well as ongoing debates in science policy (e.g., concerning the commercialization and politicization of science) all call for a re-assessment of the principles of freedom of research and teaching and their grounds. In this course, we will examine some classical philosophical arguments for academic freedom, from the time of the early modern defenders of "libertas philosophandi" on, as well as contemporary contributions to the ongoing debates about its limitations. |
| Assessment: |
TBA |
| Reading:
|
TBA |
| |
|
| Course/Subject
Name: |
Political Freedom |
| Course/Subject
id: |
|
| Level: |
Advanced BA seminar |
| Pre-requisites: |
First two years of BA philosophy completed |
| Start
Date: |
April |
| End
Date: |
July |
| Contact
Hours: |
2 hours per week |
| ECTS
Weighting: |
7.5 |
| Course/Subject
Outline: |
The guiding question of this seminar is: what does “free” mean when the word is used to describe a political condition or a political right. This simple question has found widely divergent answers in the contemporary literature. By discussing authors like I. Berlin, G. MacCallum, F. Hayek, G. Cohen, Q. Skinner, and R Geuss, the seminar is intended to clarify one central element of the political self-conception of Western countries. |
| Assessment: |
Two short essays plus a substantial paper on a topic related to this course. |
| Reading:
|
A reader containing the relevant texts will be available before the term starts. |
| |
|
| Course/Subject
Name: |
Actions, Reasons and Rules |
| Course/Subject
id: |
|
| Level:
|
MA seminar |
| Pre-requisites:
|
BA in philosophy completed. With instructor’s permission, BA students in their final year may participate as well. |
| Start
Date: |
April |
| End
Date: |
July |
| Contact
Hours: |
2 hours per week |
| ECTS
Weighting: |
7.5 |
| Course/Subject
Outline: |
Ever since the philosophy of action became an independent discipline in the middle of the last century, the discussion concentrated heavily on the problem of acting on reasons. This, on the one hand, created a rather solipsistic view on agency. On the other hand, acting according to rules is an important as well as often neglected phenomenon which bridges the gap between the theory of action and moral, legal, and political philosophy. The seminar will investigate these issues on the basis of papers by Davidson, Rawls, Raz, Pettit and others. |
| Assessment: |
Two short essays plus a substantial paper on a topic related to this course. |
| Reading:
|
A reader containing the relevant texts will be available before the term starts. |
| |
|
| Course/Subject
Name: |
Normativity |
| Course/Subject
id: |
|
| Level: |
MA seminar |
| Pre-requisites: |
BA in philosophy completed. With instructor’s permission, BA students in their final year may participate as well. |
| Start
Date: |
April |
| End
Date: |
July |
| Contact
Hours: |
2 hours per week |
| ECTS
Weighting: |
7.5 |
| Course/Subject
Outline: |
Normativity has become an important topic in recent discussions, not just in ethics, but also in philosophy of language, and beyond philosophy in sociology and religion. The seminar will focus on three sets of questions. 1. What is it for something to be normative? Does there have to be a norm in the offing? And what is a norm?
2. What is it for a norm to exist? Do people create norms? How do they do it?
3. Is reference to norms or things normative helpful or indeed indispensable for understanding our moral and political life? |
| Assessment:
|
Two short essays plus a substantial paper on a topic related to this course. |
| Reading:
|
A reader containing the relevant texts will be available before the term starts. |
| |
|
