The aim of the course is to provide students with a more comprehensive and deeper insight into the different theoretical approaches within the humanities. In the course, the main theories that have influenced theoretical discussion in the humanities over the last decades will be presented and discussed, and the students are taught how to apply them in their own research.

History of Ideas after 1750.

In the courses Communication channels I and Communication channels II, the basics of methods for the dissemination of cultural material in the humanities and social sciences are presented. Communication channels I is in the fall semester, while Communication channels II is in the spring semester. 

In Communication channels I, the students are working with a) text and images in the first half of the semester and b) short documentaries in the second half of the course. Each subject weighs 50% in the course. Concerning a) Students will receive training in article writing and discourse analysis on the one hand and use of images and image analysis on the other.  Concerning b) Students work on making short documentaries. It includes basic training in screenwriting, shooting and editing, and students work in groups on a documentary, according to a specific theme. 

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Analysis of texts and images
2. An article with an image on a specific theme for publication, about 800 words.
3. A group project where students work on a short documentary that is shown at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course. The course is not taught remotely.

The course focuses on philosophical themes in the history of ideas concerning peace and conflict. The concept of peace will be scrutinised according to how it has been framed within various political discourses and ideologies, such as de-colonialism, internationalism, nationalism, feminism, socialism, liberalism and capitalism. A specific focus will be on the gendered ideas about peace and war as well as philosophical discussions concerning the justification of methods of resistance, such as the use of violence in liberation struggles. We will read works by, among others, Immanuel Kant, Frantz Fanon, Elin Wägner, Hannah Arendt, Mahatma Gandhi and Carol Gilligan.

Direct study in seminar: Philosophy of peace and conflict in historical context. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with their own humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. Why do we consider it so important to be able to demarcate humanity and separate humans from non-humans? Should the emphasis perhaps be on something else? In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity, theories about them, and different approaches from the history of philosophy. We also consider another aspect, dehumanization, which involves the exclusion of individuals or groups from human society, often with horrendous results. Readings will include philosophical texts from different historical periods but the main emphasis will be on recent texts. Ideas about humanity, dehumanization, and the demarcation of humanity will be put in context with various aspects of social justice.

Direct study in seminar: Humanity and dehumanization. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The focus of this course is the application of ethics to pressing problems and debates in contemporary society. Possible methods for solving ethical dilemmas, both on an individual and social basis, are discussed. The selection of topics may change from year to year, but possible topics include free speech, the status of refugees, animal rights, poverty and economic inequality, gender discrimination, racial discrimination, environmental issues, and various issues in health care. The relation between theoretical and applied ethics is discussed. While instruction includes lectures, student participation in discussion is greatly emphasized.

Preservation of private archives and how they are used as sources of past history. The role of archival institutions in the preservation and collection of private archives will be examined, and how and where private archives are preserved in Iceland. Access to private archives will be examined. Work in the course requires active participation. Lectures will be held and in addition students are expected to complete assignments in group work and independently. Visits are expected to depositories that preserve private archives.

This course covers the role of public archives and archiving and record management in the past and present. The importance of the principle of provenance for archives and history. A summary of the history of administration. The activities and legal environment of public archives in Iceland will be discussed and their role in records management in public administration. What organizations are obliged to transfer their records to public archives. The evolution of archiving and records management in the 20th and 21st centuries will be examined. Methods of records managements, old and new. The sorting and cataloguing of archives.

The aim of the course is to increase the students' knowledge and understanding of Nordic and West-Nordic history from the 19th century to the present and their shared cultural and political heritage. Nation-building in the 19th century, industrialization and general economic development, politics and parties, the Nordic countries in international context and the co-operation between the Nordic countries are among the matters we will study and discuss. The West-Nordic countries, The Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland will be of special interest in this context. Emphasis is also on studying the concept of the Nordic welfare model, den nordiske model, the characteristics of the Nordic welfare states in the 20th century.

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative is helpful but not necessary. Reading ability in German and/or the modern Scandinavian languages is also helpful but, again, not necessary (all mandatory readings are in English). Students produce a paper and lead discussion; no final exam.

The course is intended for postgraduate students only. It is adapted to the needs of students from different fields of study. The course is taught over a six-week period.

The course is taught 12th January - 16th February on Fridays from 1:20 pm - 3:40 pm.

Description: 
The topics of the course include: Professionalism and the scientist’s responsibilities. Demands for scientific objectivity and the ethics of research. Issues of equality and standards of good practice. Power and science. Conflicts of interest and misconduct in research. Science, academia and industry. Research ethics and ethical decision making.

Objectives: 
In this course, the student gains knowledge about ethical issues in science and research and is trained in reasoning about ethical controversies relating to science and research in contemporary society.

The instruction takes the form of lectures and discussion. The course is viewed as an academic community where students are actively engaged in a focused dialogue about  the topics. Each student (working as a member of a two-person team) gives a presentation according to a plan designed at the beginning of the course, and other students acquaint themselves with the topic as well for the purpose of participating in a teacher-led discussion.

This is a project that can be chosen as an addition to HSP806F Ethics of Science and Research and can only be taken along with that course.

A discussion of some controversial issues in the field of bioethics, in particular those relating to developments in genetics and their possible effects upon medical services and health care policy.

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality, extreme poverty and war. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

In the course Communication channels II during the spring semester the students work with the following communication methods: a) oral presentation and b) exhibitions of cultural and historical material. Digital communication will be integrated into both aspects.

The students will work with the basics of oral presentation and practice in smaller and larger groups. Basic issues regarding the organization of conferences and seminars and their management will also be reviewed and a conference is held where all students present their projects. Digital communication will also be integrated into this section. Following is a section about exhibitions with connection to digital communication. The basics of exhibitions and different ways of presentation will be discussed.  The basics of digital communication will be covered, what are the main channels, advantages and disadvantages, and what rules apply to the presentation of texts on the web.

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Lecture at a conference and other projects in that context
2. Exhibition analysis and a practical project in connection with exhibitions organized by the City History Museum (Borgarsögusafn)
3. Digital communication will be integrated into both aspects. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course.

The course is not taught remotely.

In the seminar we will consider Mill´s lifelong struggle against dogmatism and how it informs his conception of logic, ethics, religion and social philosophy. We will give anti-dogmatic readings of some of his major works including  On Liberty, Utilitarianism, The Subjection of Women and System of Logic.  

Direct study in seminar: Philosophical Progress. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Philosophical thinking extends beyond mere critical, analytical, and logical reasoning. The mind is extended, embodied, embedded and ecological. Each mind is a manifestation of vast interactions environments, individually creative and intuitive. This seminar delves into the pioneers of embodied thinking within the modern to contemporary history of philosophy (from Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Dewey, James, Beauvoir, Arendt, Weil to Irigaray, Varela, Petitmengin, Gendlin, Noë and Tuana). Besides exploring, philosophies of embodied thinking, a special emphasis is on introducing methodologies derived from these philosophies, and to engage in practices. The objective of these methodologies is to become more aware of the rich backgrounds of lived experience participating in any idea and understanding. Engaging the embodied and ecological dimension of thinking strengthens students in their independent philosophical approach and fosters collaborative skills of understanding thinking together.
The seminar will include a weekend training workshop.

Direct study in seminar: Pioneers of Philosophical Embodied Thinking. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

The course explores the lives, roles and status of women in Iceland in the 20th century. It deals with the way in which social, technological and cultural change affected Icelandic women. At the same time it explores the extent to which women took part in shaping these changes. The focus shall be placed on different social groups and the three generations or so who lived through the century. All of this will be considered in context with recent international research on women and gender. Students are expected to conduct primary research on this topic and thus take part in shaping a history of women that is still to be written.

Overview of the history of the Viking age and history of Viking research. Emphasis is placed on the archaeological evidence, the sites and the objects, and discussing how archaeological data has contributed to our understanding of this period. Particular attention is given to economic patterns, issues of ethnicity and state formation.

In the course, well-known historical studies from Western culture will be read that deal with a variety of topics. An attempt will be made to show how historians, both at the end of the twentieth century and at the beginning of the twenty-first century, struggle with different topics in their research. The discussion will be put into an ideological context and emphasis will be placed on showing the different approaches of historians when the subject has been connected to the aforementioned field of study. An attempt was made to select interesting books that are likely to give us an interesting picture of the state of the arts of history today.

In the courses Communication channels I and Communication channels II, the basics of methods for the dissemination of cultural material in the humanities and social sciences are presented. Communication channels I is in the fall semester, while Communication channels II is in the spring semester. 

In Communication channels I, the students are working with a) text and images in the first half of the semester and b) short documentaries in the second half of the course. Each subject weighs 50% in the course. Concerning a) Students will receive training in article writing and discourse analysis on the one hand and use of images and image analysis on the other.  Concerning b) Students work on making short documentaries. It includes basic training in screenwriting, shooting and editing, and students work in groups on a documentary, according to a specific theme. 

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Analysis of texts and images
2. An article with an image on a specific theme for publication, about 800 words.
3. A group project where students work on a short documentary that is shown at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course. The course is not taught remotely.

The course focuses on philosophical themes in the history of ideas concerning peace and conflict. The concept of peace will be scrutinised according to how it has been framed within various political discourses and ideologies, such as de-colonialism, internationalism, nationalism, feminism, socialism, liberalism and capitalism. A specific focus will be on the gendered ideas about peace and war as well as philosophical discussions concerning the justification of methods of resistance, such as the use of violence in liberation struggles. We will read works by, among others, Immanuel Kant, Frantz Fanon, Elin Wägner, Hannah Arendt, Mahatma Gandhi and Carol Gilligan.

Direct study in seminar: Philosophy of peace and conflict in historical context. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with their own humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. Why do we consider it so important to be able to demarcate humanity and separate humans from non-humans? Should the emphasis perhaps be on something else? In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity, theories about them, and different approaches from the history of philosophy. We also consider another aspect, dehumanization, which involves the exclusion of individuals or groups from human society, often with horrendous results. Readings will include philosophical texts from different historical periods but the main emphasis will be on recent texts. Ideas about humanity, dehumanization, and the demarcation of humanity will be put in context with various aspects of social justice.

Direct study in seminar: Humanity and dehumanization. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The focus of this course is the application of ethics to pressing problems and debates in contemporary society. Possible methods for solving ethical dilemmas, both on an individual and social basis, are discussed. The selection of topics may change from year to year, but possible topics include free speech, the status of refugees, animal rights, poverty and economic inequality, gender discrimination, racial discrimination, environmental issues, and various issues in health care. The relation between theoretical and applied ethics is discussed. While instruction includes lectures, student participation in discussion is greatly emphasized.

Preservation of private archives and how they are used as sources of past history. The role of archival institutions in the preservation and collection of private archives will be examined, and how and where private archives are preserved in Iceland. Access to private archives will be examined. Work in the course requires active participation. Lectures will be held and in addition students are expected to complete assignments in group work and independently. Visits are expected to depositories that preserve private archives.

This course covers the role of public archives and archiving and record management in the past and present. The importance of the principle of provenance for archives and history. A summary of the history of administration. The activities and legal environment of public archives in Iceland will be discussed and their role in records management in public administration. What organizations are obliged to transfer their records to public archives. The evolution of archiving and records management in the 20th and 21st centuries will be examined. Methods of records managements, old and new. The sorting and cataloguing of archives.

The aim of the course is to increase the students' knowledge and understanding of Nordic and West-Nordic history from the 19th century to the present and their shared cultural and political heritage. Nation-building in the 19th century, industrialization and general economic development, politics and parties, the Nordic countries in international context and the co-operation between the Nordic countries are among the matters we will study and discuss. The West-Nordic countries, The Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland will be of special interest in this context. Emphasis is also on studying the concept of the Nordic welfare model, den nordiske model, the characteristics of the Nordic welfare states in the 20th century.

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative is helpful but not necessary. Reading ability in German and/or the modern Scandinavian languages is also helpful but, again, not necessary (all mandatory readings are in English). Students produce a paper and lead discussion; no final exam.

Course description: Examples from the history of science and technology in Iceland are discussed in the light of national and international developments. Among the lecturers are experts in the natural sciences, technology and medical sciences. The students write a paper on a topic chosen in consultation with one or more of the teachers and give a short oral presentation.

Research Project for MA-thesis in collaboration with supervisor.

Final project.

The aim of the course is to provide students with a more comprehensive and deeper insight into the different theoretical approaches within the humanities. In the course, the main theories that have influenced theoretical discussion in the humanities over the last decades will be presented and discussed, and the students are taught how to apply them in their own research.

History of Ideas after 1750.

In the courses Communication channels I and Communication channels II, the basics of methods for the dissemination of cultural material in the humanities and social sciences are presented. Communication channels I is in the fall semester, while Communication channels II is in the spring semester. 

In Communication channels I, the students are working with a) text and images in the first half of the semester and b) short documentaries in the second half of the course. Each subject weighs 50% in the course. Concerning a) Students will receive training in article writing and discourse analysis on the one hand and use of images and image analysis on the other.  Concerning b) Students work on making short documentaries. It includes basic training in screenwriting, shooting and editing, and students work in groups on a documentary, according to a specific theme. 

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Analysis of texts and images
2. An article with an image on a specific theme for publication, about 800 words.
3. A group project where students work on a short documentary that is shown at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course. The course is not taught remotely.

The course focuses on philosophical themes in the history of ideas concerning peace and conflict. The concept of peace will be scrutinised according to how it has been framed within various political discourses and ideologies, such as de-colonialism, internationalism, nationalism, feminism, socialism, liberalism and capitalism. A specific focus will be on the gendered ideas about peace and war as well as philosophical discussions concerning the justification of methods of resistance, such as the use of violence in liberation struggles. We will read works by, among others, Immanuel Kant, Frantz Fanon, Elin Wägner, Hannah Arendt, Mahatma Gandhi and Carol Gilligan.

Direct study in seminar: Philosophy of peace and conflict in historical context. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with their own humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. Why do we consider it so important to be able to demarcate humanity and separate humans from non-humans? Should the emphasis perhaps be on something else? In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity, theories about them, and different approaches from the history of philosophy. We also consider another aspect, dehumanization, which involves the exclusion of individuals or groups from human society, often with horrendous results. Readings will include philosophical texts from different historical periods but the main emphasis will be on recent texts. Ideas about humanity, dehumanization, and the demarcation of humanity will be put in context with various aspects of social justice.

Direct study in seminar: Humanity and dehumanization. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The focus of this course is the application of ethics to pressing problems and debates in contemporary society. Possible methods for solving ethical dilemmas, both on an individual and social basis, are discussed. The selection of topics may change from year to year, but possible topics include free speech, the status of refugees, animal rights, poverty and economic inequality, gender discrimination, racial discrimination, environmental issues, and various issues in health care. The relation between theoretical and applied ethics is discussed. While instruction includes lectures, student participation in discussion is greatly emphasized.

Preservation of private archives and how they are used as sources of past history. The role of archival institutions in the preservation and collection of private archives will be examined, and how and where private archives are preserved in Iceland. Access to private archives will be examined. Work in the course requires active participation. Lectures will be held and in addition students are expected to complete assignments in group work and independently. Visits are expected to depositories that preserve private archives.

This course covers the role of public archives and archiving and record management in the past and present. The importance of the principle of provenance for archives and history. A summary of the history of administration. The activities and legal environment of public archives in Iceland will be discussed and their role in records management in public administration. What organizations are obliged to transfer their records to public archives. The evolution of archiving and records management in the 20th and 21st centuries will be examined. Methods of records managements, old and new. The sorting and cataloguing of archives.

The aim of the course is to increase the students' knowledge and understanding of Nordic and West-Nordic history from the 19th century to the present and their shared cultural and political heritage. Nation-building in the 19th century, industrialization and general economic development, politics and parties, the Nordic countries in international context and the co-operation between the Nordic countries are among the matters we will study and discuss. The West-Nordic countries, The Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland will be of special interest in this context. Emphasis is also on studying the concept of the Nordic welfare model, den nordiske model, the characteristics of the Nordic welfare states in the 20th century.

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative is helpful but not necessary. Reading ability in German and/or the modern Scandinavian languages is also helpful but, again, not necessary (all mandatory readings are in English). Students produce a paper and lead discussion; no final exam.

The course is intended for postgraduate students only. It is adapted to the needs of students from different fields of study. The course is taught over a six-week period.

The course is taught 12th January - 16th February on Fridays from 1:20 pm - 3:40 pm.

Description: 
The topics of the course include: Professionalism and the scientist’s responsibilities. Demands for scientific objectivity and the ethics of research. Issues of equality and standards of good practice. Power and science. Conflicts of interest and misconduct in research. Science, academia and industry. Research ethics and ethical decision making.

Objectives: 
In this course, the student gains knowledge about ethical issues in science and research and is trained in reasoning about ethical controversies relating to science and research in contemporary society.

The instruction takes the form of lectures and discussion. The course is viewed as an academic community where students are actively engaged in a focused dialogue about  the topics. Each student (working as a member of a two-person team) gives a presentation according to a plan designed at the beginning of the course, and other students acquaint themselves with the topic as well for the purpose of participating in a teacher-led discussion.

This is a project that can be chosen as an addition to HSP806F Ethics of Science and Research and can only be taken along with that course.

A discussion of some controversial issues in the field of bioethics, in particular those relating to developments in genetics and their possible effects upon medical services and health care policy.

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality, extreme poverty and war. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

In the course Communication channels II during the spring semester the students work with the following communication methods: a) oral presentation and b) exhibitions of cultural and historical material. Digital communication will be integrated into both aspects.

The students will work with the basics of oral presentation and practice in smaller and larger groups. Basic issues regarding the organization of conferences and seminars and their management will also be reviewed and a conference is held where all students present their projects. Digital communication will also be integrated into this section. Following is a section about exhibitions with connection to digital communication. The basics of exhibitions and different ways of presentation will be discussed.  The basics of digital communication will be covered, what are the main channels, advantages and disadvantages, and what rules apply to the presentation of texts on the web.

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Lecture at a conference and other projects in that context
2. Exhibition analysis and a practical project in connection with exhibitions organized by the City History Museum (Borgarsögusafn)
3. Digital communication will be integrated into both aspects. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course.

The course is not taught remotely.

In the seminar we will consider Mill´s lifelong struggle against dogmatism and how it informs his conception of logic, ethics, religion and social philosophy. We will give anti-dogmatic readings of some of his major works including  On Liberty, Utilitarianism, The Subjection of Women and System of Logic.  

Direct study in seminar: Philosophical Progress. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Philosophical thinking extends beyond mere critical, analytical, and logical reasoning. The mind is extended, embodied, embedded and ecological. Each mind is a manifestation of vast interactions environments, individually creative and intuitive. This seminar delves into the pioneers of embodied thinking within the modern to contemporary history of philosophy (from Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Dewey, James, Beauvoir, Arendt, Weil to Irigaray, Varela, Petitmengin, Gendlin, Noë and Tuana). Besides exploring, philosophies of embodied thinking, a special emphasis is on introducing methodologies derived from these philosophies, and to engage in practices. The objective of these methodologies is to become more aware of the rich backgrounds of lived experience participating in any idea and understanding. Engaging the embodied and ecological dimension of thinking strengthens students in their independent philosophical approach and fosters collaborative skills of understanding thinking together.
The seminar will include a weekend training workshop.

Direct study in seminar: Pioneers of Philosophical Embodied Thinking. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

The course explores the lives, roles and status of women in Iceland in the 20th century. It deals with the way in which social, technological and cultural change affected Icelandic women. At the same time it explores the extent to which women took part in shaping these changes. The focus shall be placed on different social groups and the three generations or so who lived through the century. All of this will be considered in context with recent international research on women and gender. Students are expected to conduct primary research on this topic and thus take part in shaping a history of women that is still to be written.

Overview of the history of the Viking age and history of Viking research. Emphasis is placed on the archaeological evidence, the sites and the objects, and discussing how archaeological data has contributed to our understanding of this period. Particular attention is given to economic patterns, issues of ethnicity and state formation.

In the course, well-known historical studies from Western culture will be read that deal with a variety of topics. An attempt will be made to show how historians, both at the end of the twentieth century and at the beginning of the twenty-first century, struggle with different topics in their research. The discussion will be put into an ideological context and emphasis will be placed on showing the different approaches of historians when the subject has been connected to the aforementioned field of study. An attempt was made to select interesting books that are likely to give us an interesting picture of the state of the arts of history today.

In the courses Communication channels I and Communication channels II, the basics of methods for the dissemination of cultural material in the humanities and social sciences are presented. Communication channels I is in the fall semester, while Communication channels II is in the spring semester. 

In Communication channels I, the students are working with a) text and images in the first half of the semester and b) short documentaries in the second half of the course. Each subject weighs 50% in the course. Concerning a) Students will receive training in article writing and discourse analysis on the one hand and use of images and image analysis on the other.  Concerning b) Students work on making short documentaries. It includes basic training in screenwriting, shooting and editing, and students work in groups on a documentary, according to a specific theme. 

There are no exams in the course. Instead, students work on projects, individual and group projects. They are the following:

1. Analysis of texts and images
2. An article with an image on a specific theme for publication, about 800 words.
3. A group project where students work on a short documentary that is shown at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on common themes and group work in the course. The course is not taught remotely.

The course focuses on philosophical themes in the history of ideas concerning peace and conflict. The concept of peace will be scrutinised according to how it has been framed within various political discourses and ideologies, such as de-colonialism, internationalism, nationalism, feminism, socialism, liberalism and capitalism. A specific focus will be on the gendered ideas about peace and war as well as philosophical discussions concerning the justification of methods of resistance, such as the use of violence in liberation struggles. We will read works by, among others, Immanuel Kant, Frantz Fanon, Elin Wägner, Hannah Arendt, Mahatma Gandhi and Carol Gilligan.

Direct study in seminar: Philosophy of peace and conflict in historical context. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with their own humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. Why do we consider it so important to be able to demarcate humanity and separate humans from non-humans? Should the emphasis perhaps be on something else? In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity, theories about them, and different approaches from the history of philosophy. We also consider another aspect, dehumanization, which involves the exclusion of individuals or groups from human society, often with horrendous results. Readings will include philosophical texts from different historical periods but the main emphasis will be on recent texts. Ideas about humanity, dehumanization, and the demarcation of humanity will be put in context with various aspects of social justice.

Direct study in seminar: Humanity and dehumanization. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The focus of this course is the application of ethics to pressing problems and debates in contemporary society. Possible methods for solving ethical dilemmas, both on an individual and social basis, are discussed. The selection of topics may change from year to year, but possible topics include free speech, the status of refugees, animal rights, poverty and economic inequality, gender discrimination, racial discrimination, environmental issues, and various issues in health care. The relation between theoretical and applied ethics is discussed. While instruction includes lectures, student participation in discussion is greatly emphasized.

Preservation of private archives and how they are used as sources of past history. The role of archival institutions in the preservation and collection of private archives will be examined, and how and where private archives are preserved in Iceland. Access to private archives will be examined. Work in the course requires active participation. Lectures will be held and in addition students are expected to complete assignments in group work and independently. Visits are expected to depositories that preserve private archives.

This course covers the role of public archives and archiving and record management in the past and present. The importance of the principle of provenance for archives and history. A summary of the history of administration. The activities and legal environment of public archives in Iceland will be discussed and their role in records management in public administration. What organizations are obliged to transfer their records to public archives. The evolution of archiving and records management in the 20th and 21st centuries will be examined. Methods of records managements, old and new. The sorting and cataloguing of archives.

The aim of the course is to increase the students' knowledge and understanding of Nordic and West-Nordic history from the 19th century to the present and their shared cultural and political heritage. Nation-building in the 19th century, industrialization and general economic development, politics and parties, the Nordic countries in international context and the co-operation between the Nordic countries are among the matters we will study and discuss. The West-Nordic countries, The Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland will be of special interest in this context. Emphasis is also on studying the concept of the Nordic welfare model, den nordiske model, the characteristics of the Nordic welfare states in the 20th century.

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

This seminar engages with theories on culture, narrative, and mediation. Active class participation is required.

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative is helpful but not necessary. Reading ability in German and/or the modern Scandinavian languages is also helpful but, again, not necessary (all mandatory readings are in English). Students produce a paper and lead discussion; no final exam.

Course description: Examples from the history of science and technology in Iceland are discussed in the light of national and international developments. Among the lecturers are experts in the natural sciences, technology and medical sciences. The students write a paper on a topic chosen in consultation with one or more of the teachers and give a short oral presentation.

Research Project for MA-thesis in collaboration with supervisor.

Final project.