History of Philosophy
Course code
HIF6352.HT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Filosoofia ajalugu
Course title in English
History of Philosophy
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester
Liisi Keedus (language of instruction:Estonian)
lecturer of 2024/2025 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
- participants acquire fundamental knowledge of the most important philosophical currents and traditions from ancient philosophy to the early modern period;
- learn to analyze and critically evaluate various philosophical theories and concepts, their justifications, and their impact on different fields such as ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, etc;
- learn to understand how historical philosophical ideas have influenced and shaped contemporary views and problems, and how these are connected to today’s philosophical as well as more generally theoretical and scientific thinking;
- the course supports the development of critical thinking and argumentation skills, helping students to formulate clear and logical arguments and to evaluate different viewpoints and arguments;
- the course helps to understand the connections of philosophy with other scientific and artistic fields and its role in the broader intellectual and cultural history;
- the course lays the foundations for the development of independent philosophical thinking.
- learn to analyze and critically evaluate various philosophical theories and concepts, their justifications, and their impact on different fields such as ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, etc;
- learn to understand how historical philosophical ideas have influenced and shaped contemporary views and problems, and how these are connected to today’s philosophical as well as more generally theoretical and scientific thinking;
- the course supports the development of critical thinking and argumentation skills, helping students to formulate clear and logical arguments and to evaluate different viewpoints and arguments;
- the course helps to understand the connections of philosophy with other scientific and artistic fields and its role in the broader intellectual and cultural history;
- the course lays the foundations for the development of independent philosophical thinking.
Brief description of the course
History of Philosophy offers an introduction to the basic problems and methods of philosophical inquiry, with a focus on the classical, medieval and early modern thinkers (incl. Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, Augustines, Aquino Thomas, Descartes, Spinoza). Topics of discussion include the nature of philosophy and human knowledge; limits of human reason; the nature and existence of God; the scope and limits of human freedom; the distinction between good and evil, beautiful and ugly; the essence of the good life, nature of good society, and the meaning and value of human existence.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- identifies and knows the major classical, medieval and early modern philosophers and their main ideas, which she/he is also able to summarize, compare and critically analyse;
- has a basic knowledge of key ontological, metaphysical, epistemological and ethical problems;
- has acquired foundational knowledge of key philosophical concepts and can apply them in the analysis of contemporary issues;
- has improved her/his verbal and written skills of reasoning and argumentations.
- identifies and knows the major classical, medieval and early modern philosophers and their main ideas, which she/he is also able to summarize, compare and critically analyse;
- has a basic knowledge of key ontological, metaphysical, epistemological and ethical problems;
- has acquired foundational knowledge of key philosophical concepts and can apply them in the analysis of contemporary issues;
- has improved her/his verbal and written skills of reasoning and argumentations.
Teacher
Liisi Keedus
Study programmes containing that course