This course discusses the question "What is Philosophy?" and the relationship of philosophy to science, art, religion and politics. We will read both classical and contemporary philosophy texts to study the different methods and problems of philosophy.

A survey of ancient philosophy, based upon a close reading of primary texts from the works of the Presocratics, Plato and Aristotle, and their Hellenistic successors. The primary aim is to offer an overview of the development of ancient philosophy. A secondary aim is to offer an insight into the importance of the history of philosophy for philosophy, and deepen the students' competence in reading philosophical works from the ancient world. At the completion of the course, the students should be acquainted with the main periods and individual thinkers of ancient philosophy, their views and arguments. They should be able to give an account of these views, support it with references to the primary sources, and compare the views of different philosophers. Further, they should have gained an insight into the importance of the history of philosophy for philosophy and the historical origins of classical philosophical problems.

The aim of this course is to show students the importance of critical thinking by introducing its main concepts and methods as well as different understandings of the notion. Furthermore, the aim is to train students in critical thinking and argumentation, both in a philosophical and an everyday context. Special emphasis will be placed on analysing arguments. The relationship between critical thinking and ethics will be thoroughly examined.

The teaching involves both lectures and discussion sessions. Assignments will primarily be aimed at practical tasks relevant to everyday experiences.

In this course, we discuss a few selected contemporary issues in the field of social and political philosophy. We will discuss and analyse key concepts of relevance for a good society, such as liberty, equality, justice and democracy with a special reference to Icelandic society. 

Students will be introduced to the basics of philosophical and formal logic. The course focuses on propositional logic (truth-functional logic) and quantified logic (first-order logic). Additionally, a brief survey of informal logic will be given at the beginning of the course, and philosophical questions concerning the nature and status of logic will be addressed toward the end of the course.

This course provides an overview of three principal moral theories: Aristotle's virtue ethics as presented in his Nichomachean Ethics, Kant's deontoloical ethics as presented in his Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mill's rule ethics as presented in his Utilitarianism.

Description
A survey of Western philosophy in the 17th and 18th Centuries, with emphasis on selected topics in the epistemology and metaphysics of the period, based upon a close reading and comparison of primary texts. Descartes, Hume and Kant are the principal authors discussed.

Teaching
The teaching involves both lectures and discussions. Lectures will give an exposition of the subject and/or of its main topics. Discussions will address more specific topics or questions.

In this course we will consider many of the most prominent problems in the philosophy of science of the 20^th and 21^st century. How are scientific theories confirmed by experiments and observations? What is it for something to be a law of nature? Why should we trust scientific research more than other methods for obtaining knowledge? Is scientific research value-laden? And what is involved in the claim that science is objective?

Through the phenomenology of the body, the aim is to explore the nature of self-affection in the formation of meaning in the philosophy of Irigaray. Self-affection is linked to her concept of sexual difference, embodiment, and action in perception, and how interaction and inter-affection bring forth the knowable world. The aim is to investigate how sexual difference is intrinsically linked to affect, having transcendental, spiritual, and ethical implications based on our desire and how it functions as a political power to transform and overcome dualisms in Western culture. Finally, her works will be assessed and discussed in light of Hegel´s phenomenology of the spirit and Merleau-Ponty´s idea of the flesh of the world, as well as other writers. 

Direct study in seminar: The power of self-affection in the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

This course brings together world views and anthropologies that appear very far apart: the thought of classical German mystics like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Boehme, who deeply influenced German philosophy (e.g., Hegel, Schelling), and contemporary process philosophy exemplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Eugene Gendlin. Despite their obvious differences, these philosophies share implications that resonate with and can be interpreted through each other. They address concepts such as co-creation, ethical know-how, and an open-ended ontological understanding of the world. Humans play a decisive role—not as agents pushing agendas, but through their transformative potential. We will study the frameworks of each school of thought: the mystical tradition, using Christian language while radically reinterpreting it, and process philosophy, which embraces and spells out the complexity of an open-ended, interactional world. Engagement with the texts will include close reading, discussion, and philosophical practices derived from these traditions.

Direct study in seminar: Mystical medieval philosophy meets process philosophy. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The course aims to give a brief survey of selected topics in the philosophy of art; to introduce students to particular discussions, questions, theories and arguments in the philosophy of art through selected readings, both historical and contemporary; and to enable students to discuss topics related to aesthetics.

In this course, 19th and 20th century ideas that had fundamental effects on Western philosophy and intellectual history, will be examined. These are socially transformative ideas such as freedom, secularism, equality, resistance, the relation between the individual and society, ideas concerning existence and the soul, oppression, injustice, the national state and capitalism. Perhaps last but not least ideas about history, time and evolution of humanity and the planet. 

Each week a new thinker or idea that transformed Western intellectual history is introduced and engaged with. Thinkers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rosa Luxembourg and Emma Goldman are analysed and influential isms such as phenomenology, neoliberalism or postructuralism. The aim is to read these thinkers and isms in accordance with the zeitgeist of the historical period they belong to (to the extent that we, people in the 21st century can “read” zeitgeists of older periods). At the same time the aim is to dig deep into original texts and to acquire multi-dimensional understanding of the ideas. Important part of the course is also to look at these themes in relation to the present times and the issues happening at the moment in Western societies and all around the globe. 

The philosophical and religious classic Daodejing will be read chapter by chapter with the objective of understanding the text in light of the philosophical and religious teachings of Daoism. The main rendering of the text to be used is the bilingual Icelandic translation by Ragnar Baldursson, Ferlið og dygðin, but other translations, interpretations and discussions will also be consulted. A reading comprehension of Chinese is certainly an advantage but not a condition for participation in the course.

In this course we will discuss and ask about the nature of knowledge and tackle problems that relate to knowledge. Why is knowledge important? Is understanding more important than knowledge? What is the difference between knowledge and true belief? What kind of justification is needed to change true belief into knowledge? Is is possible to investigate knowledge like digestion, i.e. with the methods of the natural sciences, or can we only approach it from within, i.e. by investigating our own consciousness? Can we trust the opinions of others? What conditions must be met to do people justice, irrespective of sex, race, age, gender etc? We will mainly read texts from the 20th and 21st century and use the methods of analytic philosophy in reading and analysing philosophical texts.

The course will cover some of the philosophical and ethical issues raised by climate change. Some of these concern the choices of private individuals. We will for instance consider what duties climate change imposes on private individuals, and whether greenhouse gas offsetting can be a way of satisfying these duties. Most of the focus will however be on climate policy choice.  We will for instance discuss how to evaluate climate policies in light of the considerable uncertainty involved, and how to navigate the tradeoffs between current and future generations that such choices give rise to. We will also consider in detail some specific policy proposals, such as solar radiation management and a world climate bank. 

Direct study in seminar: Topics in climate ethics. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with the notion of humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. We demand human rights on the basis of our humanity, which suggests that this is a normative or ethically laden notion. On the other hand, dehumanization can have horrendous consequences, when marginalized persons or groups are denied full access to human society, and this used to justify oppression and violent acts. In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity and dehumanization, theories about them and different approaches to them. While there will be some readings from different periods in the history of philosophy, the main emphasis will be on materials from recent decades, which will be put in context with current events.

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

This seminar will consider both philosophical questions about movies (e.g. "What is a movie?") and philosophical questions raised in movies (e.g. "What is real?", "What is a marriage?"). 

The course is taught in English.

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.

This course is dedicated to various issues in contemporary metaphysics as well as the history of metaphysics in the 20th and 21st centuries. Likely topics covered include personal identity; free will; realism, anti-realism, and nominalism; natural kinds and fictional characters; possible worlds; the relation between language and world; and the relation between mind and body.

In this course we will consider many of the most prominent problems in the philosophy of science of the 20^th and 21^st century. How are scientific theories confirmed by experiments and observations? What is it for something to be a law of nature? Why should we trust scientific research more than other methods for obtaining knowledge? Is scientific research value-laden? And what is involved in the claim that science is objective?

Through the phenomenology of the body, the aim is to explore the nature of self-affection in the formation of meaning in the philosophy of Irigaray. Self-affection is linked to her concept of sexual difference, embodiment, and action in perception, and how interaction and inter-affection bring forth the knowable world. The aim is to investigate how sexual difference is intrinsically linked to affect, having transcendental, spiritual, and ethical implications based on our desire and how it functions as a political power to transform and overcome dualisms in Western culture. Finally, her works will be assessed and discussed in light of Hegel´s phenomenology of the spirit and Merleau-Ponty´s idea of the flesh of the world, as well as other writers. 

Direct study in seminar: The power of self-affection in the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

This course brings together world views and anthropologies that appear very far apart: the thought of classical German mystics like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Boehme, who deeply influenced German philosophy (e.g., Hegel, Schelling), and contemporary process philosophy exemplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Eugene Gendlin. Despite their obvious differences, these philosophies share implications that resonate with and can be interpreted through each other. They address concepts such as co-creation, ethical know-how, and an open-ended ontological understanding of the world. Humans play a decisive role—not as agents pushing agendas, but through their transformative potential. We will study the frameworks of each school of thought: the mystical tradition, using Christian language while radically reinterpreting it, and process philosophy, which embraces and spells out the complexity of an open-ended, interactional world. Engagement with the texts will include close reading, discussion, and philosophical practices derived from these traditions.

Direct study in seminar: Mystical medieval philosophy meets process philosophy. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The course aims to give a brief survey of selected topics in the philosophy of art; to introduce students to particular discussions, questions, theories and arguments in the philosophy of art through selected readings, both historical and contemporary; and to enable students to discuss topics related to aesthetics.

In this course, 19th and 20th century ideas that had fundamental effects on Western philosophy and intellectual history, will be examined. These are socially transformative ideas such as freedom, secularism, equality, resistance, the relation between the individual and society, ideas concerning existence and the soul, oppression, injustice, the national state and capitalism. Perhaps last but not least ideas about history, time and evolution of humanity and the planet. 

Each week a new thinker or idea that transformed Western intellectual history is introduced and engaged with. Thinkers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rosa Luxembourg and Emma Goldman are analysed and influential isms such as phenomenology, neoliberalism or postructuralism. The aim is to read these thinkers and isms in accordance with the zeitgeist of the historical period they belong to (to the extent that we, people in the 21st century can “read” zeitgeists of older periods). At the same time the aim is to dig deep into original texts and to acquire multi-dimensional understanding of the ideas. Important part of the course is also to look at these themes in relation to the present times and the issues happening at the moment in Western societies and all around the globe. 

The philosophical and religious classic Daodejing will be read chapter by chapter with the objective of understanding the text in light of the philosophical and religious teachings of Daoism. The main rendering of the text to be used is the bilingual Icelandic translation by Ragnar Baldursson, Ferlið og dygðin, but other translations, interpretations and discussions will also be consulted. A reading comprehension of Chinese is certainly an advantage but not a condition for participation in the course.

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

The BA dissertation in philosophy is intended to develop the student's ability to examine a chosen philosophical subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a member of the regular philosophy teaching staff. 

The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins. The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).

Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing [link: https://ritver.hi.is/is], which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.

Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

Further information on the BA dissertation in philosophy is available on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, History, and Archaeology.

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 fundamental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature? And, what is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

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.

The course will cover some of the philosophical and ethical issues raised by climate change. Some of these concern the choices of private individuals. We will for instance consider what duties climate change imposes on private individuals, and whether greenhouse gas offsetting can be a way of satisfying these duties. Most of the focus will however be on climate policy choice.  We will for instance discuss how to evaluate climate policies in light of the considerable uncertainty involved, and how to navigate the tradeoffs between current and future generations that such choices give rise to. We will also consider in detail some specific policy proposals, such as solar radiation management and a world climate bank. 

Direct study in seminar: Topics in climate ethics. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with the notion of humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. We demand human rights on the basis of our humanity, which suggests that this is a normative or ethically laden notion. On the other hand, dehumanization can have horrendous consequences, when marginalized persons or groups are denied full access to human society, and this used to justify oppression and violent acts. In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity and dehumanization, theories about them and different approaches to them. While there will be some readings from different periods in the history of philosophy, the main emphasis will be on materials from recent decades, which will be put in context with current events.

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

This seminar will consider both philosophical questions about movies (e.g. "What is a movie?") and philosophical questions raised in movies (e.g. "What is real?", "What is a marriage?"). 

The course is taught in English.

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.

This course aims to introduce students to the nature and development of science by examining episodes of its history and by disucssing recent theories concerning the nature, aims, and development of science. A special emphasis will be placed on the history of physical science from Aristotle to Newton, including developments in astronomy during the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th century. We will also specifically examine the history of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. These episodes and many others will be viewed through the lens of various theories of scientific progress, and through recent views about interactions between science and society at large. The course material may change depending on the students’ interest.

The BA dissertation in philosophy is intended to develop the student's ability to examine a chosen philosophical subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a member of the regular philosophy teaching staff. 

The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins. The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).

Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing [link: https://ritver.hi.is/is], which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.

Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

Further information on the BA dissertation in philosophy is available on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, History, and Archaeology.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

This course is an introduction to the history of Ancient Greek civilization, with an emphasis on Ancient Greek culture and world view, from earliest times to the Roman period.

This course is a beginner’s course in Latin. No prior knowledge of Latin is assumed at the outset. It introduces the basics of Latin grammar and syntax. Chosen passages will be read in Latin, translated and thoroughly analysed. Teaching consists of 24 lectures on particular aspects of the Latin language and assigned readings.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

This course is a beginner’s course in Ancient Greek. It introduces the basics of grammar and syntax of the Attic dialect. No prior knowledge of Greek is assumed at the outset. Reading knowledge of Ancient Greek will be prioritized and chosen passages will be read in Greek, translated and thoroughly analysed. Teaching consists of both lectures on particular aspects of the Greek language and assigned readings. It is essential that students read the assigned materials before each lecture.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

The course is an introduction to Classical Studies. It will deal with the history of the discipline as well as its subject matter and methods: Students will be introduced to classical philology and the various branches of Classical Studies, such as the history, literature, and philosophy of classical antiquity. The course will, moreover, address issues concerning the use of sources, methodology, and conventions in Classics. Students will be introduced to major resources. Knowledge of the classical languages is not required.

The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context. The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context.

The course is organized around three basic topics: (i) The human being as a rational, sentient and ethical being, (i) the aims of education and (iii) freedom and democracy. Among the philosophers and educational theorists discussed in the course are Plato, Rousseau, Kant, Dewey, Key, Neill and Freire.

The philosophical and religious tradition of the Eastern Church is distinct from the Roman Catholic tradition, which developed through scholarly activity in monasteries and universities during the Middle Ages and was closely connected to the intellectual currents that later led to major social changes in Western Europe. Within the Orthodox Churches, Neoplatonism always had a strong influence and directed religious thought more toward experience and expression than metaphysical analysis. However, the leading philosophers of the Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century were well-educated in Western philosophy, which resulted in the emergence, at the end of that century and the beginning of the twentieth, of a unique philosophical tradition grounded both in the spiritual emphasis of the Eastern Church and the rationalism of the West. This course offers a broad overview of this history of ideas and its most prominent thinkers, Ukrainian and Russian alike.

This course will begin by discussing the unique characteristics of Chinese religions that distinguish them in particular from the Abrahamic religious traditions. Subsequently, the course will move to its principal topic, i.e. the religions that have developed within Chinese culture, in particular Daoism, Chinese Buddhism (e.g. chan 禪, tiantai 天台 and jingtu 淨土) as well as popular Chinese religion influenced by Confucianism. Some basic writings of these religions will be accessed in order to understand their main teachings but the focus will be on their contemporary manifestations, rituals and social status in the People‘s Republic of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere. Lastly, as much as time allows, the course will discuss some recent syncretic Chinese movements such as Tiandi Jiao 天帝, Falun Gong 法輪功 and Cao Dai in Vietnam, as well as consider non-Chinese religious traditions that have taken firm roots in China such as Islam and Christianity.

The course is a continuation of LAT101G Latin I. Students will read a selection of Latin texts by various authors.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

The course is a continuation of KLM102G Ancient Greek I. The first part of the course resumes coverage of grammar and syntax of Ancient Greek (Attic) where Ancient Greek I left off. During the second half of the course, students will read a selection of Ancient Greek texts by different authors from various periods.

Students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

In this course we will read selections from medieval literature broadly conceived (from the end og the 4th century to the end of the 15th century): poetry and historiography, philosophy and theology. Texts will be analysed grammatically and discussed materially as needed.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, but students whose native language is not Icelandic may complete assignments and exams in English.

This course introduces Ancient Greek and Roman historiography, tracing its beginning and development, and discusses its scope, aims and methods. Among authors who will be discussed are Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Cato, Sallust, Livy, Plutarch, Suetonius, Tacitus, Ammianus Marcellinus and others. Readings will include excerpts from ancient texts in translation.

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 and extreme poverty. 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”.

This course discusses the question "What is Philosophy?" and the relationship of philosophy to science, art, religion and politics. We will read both classical and contemporary philosophy texts to study the different methods and problems of philosophy.

A survey of ancient philosophy, based upon a close reading of primary texts from the works of the Presocratics, Plato and Aristotle, and their Hellenistic successors. The primary aim is to offer an overview of the development of ancient philosophy. A secondary aim is to offer an insight into the importance of the history of philosophy for philosophy, and deepen the students' competence in reading philosophical works from the ancient world. At the completion of the course, the students should be acquainted with the main periods and individual thinkers of ancient philosophy, their views and arguments. They should be able to give an account of these views, support it with references to the primary sources, and compare the views of different philosophers. Further, they should have gained an insight into the importance of the history of philosophy for philosophy and the historical origins of classical philosophical problems.

The aim of this course is to show students the importance of critical thinking by introducing its main concepts and methods as well as different understandings of the notion. Furthermore, the aim is to train students in critical thinking and argumentation, both in a philosophical and an everyday context. Special emphasis will be placed on analysing arguments. The relationship between critical thinking and ethics will be thoroughly examined.

The teaching involves both lectures and discussion sessions. Assignments will primarily be aimed at practical tasks relevant to everyday experiences.

In this course, we discuss a few selected contemporary issues in the field of social and political philosophy. We will discuss and analyse key concepts of relevance for a good society, such as liberty, equality, justice and democracy with a special reference to Icelandic society. 

Students will be introduced to the basics of philosophical and formal logic. The course focuses on propositional logic (truth-functional logic) and quantified logic (first-order logic). Additionally, a brief survey of informal logic will be given at the beginning of the course, and philosophical questions concerning the nature and status of logic will be addressed toward the end of the course.

This course provides an overview of three principal moral theories: Aristotle's virtue ethics as presented in his Nichomachean Ethics, Kant's deontoloical ethics as presented in his Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mill's rule ethics as presented in his Utilitarianism.

Description
A survey of Western philosophy in the 17th and 18th Centuries, with emphasis on selected topics in the epistemology and metaphysics of the period, based upon a close reading and comparison of primary texts. Descartes, Hume and Kant are the principal authors discussed.

Teaching
The teaching involves both lectures and discussions. Lectures will give an exposition of the subject and/or of its main topics. Discussions will address more specific topics or questions.

In this course we will consider many of the most prominent problems in the philosophy of science of the 20^th and 21^st century. How are scientific theories confirmed by experiments and observations? What is it for something to be a law of nature? Why should we trust scientific research more than other methods for obtaining knowledge? Is scientific research value-laden? And what is involved in the claim that science is objective?

Through the phenomenology of the body, the aim is to explore the nature of self-affection in the formation of meaning in the philosophy of Irigaray. Self-affection is linked to her concept of sexual difference, embodiment, and action in perception, and how interaction and inter-affection bring forth the knowable world. The aim is to investigate how sexual difference is intrinsically linked to affect, having transcendental, spiritual, and ethical implications based on our desire and how it functions as a political power to transform and overcome dualisms in Western culture. Finally, her works will be assessed and discussed in light of Hegel´s phenomenology of the spirit and Merleau-Ponty´s idea of the flesh of the world, as well as other writers. 

Direct study in seminar: The power of self-affection in the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

This course brings together world views and anthropologies that appear very far apart: the thought of classical German mystics like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Boehme, who deeply influenced German philosophy (e.g., Hegel, Schelling), and contemporary process philosophy exemplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Eugene Gendlin. Despite their obvious differences, these philosophies share implications that resonate with and can be interpreted through each other. They address concepts such as co-creation, ethical know-how, and an open-ended ontological understanding of the world. Humans play a decisive role—not as agents pushing agendas, but through their transformative potential. We will study the frameworks of each school of thought: the mystical tradition, using Christian language while radically reinterpreting it, and process philosophy, which embraces and spells out the complexity of an open-ended, interactional world. Engagement with the texts will include close reading, discussion, and philosophical practices derived from these traditions.

Direct study in seminar: Mystical medieval philosophy meets process philosophy. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The course aims to give a brief survey of selected topics in the philosophy of art; to introduce students to particular discussions, questions, theories and arguments in the philosophy of art through selected readings, both historical and contemporary; and to enable students to discuss topics related to aesthetics.

In this course, 19th and 20th century ideas that had fundamental effects on Western philosophy and intellectual history, will be examined. These are socially transformative ideas such as freedom, secularism, equality, resistance, the relation between the individual and society, ideas concerning existence and the soul, oppression, injustice, the national state and capitalism. Perhaps last but not least ideas about history, time and evolution of humanity and the planet. 

Each week a new thinker or idea that transformed Western intellectual history is introduced and engaged with. Thinkers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rosa Luxembourg and Emma Goldman are analysed and influential isms such as phenomenology, neoliberalism or postructuralism. The aim is to read these thinkers and isms in accordance with the zeitgeist of the historical period they belong to (to the extent that we, people in the 21st century can “read” zeitgeists of older periods). At the same time the aim is to dig deep into original texts and to acquire multi-dimensional understanding of the ideas. Important part of the course is also to look at these themes in relation to the present times and the issues happening at the moment in Western societies and all around the globe. 

The philosophical and religious classic Daodejing will be read chapter by chapter with the objective of understanding the text in light of the philosophical and religious teachings of Daoism. The main rendering of the text to be used is the bilingual Icelandic translation by Ragnar Baldursson, Ferlið og dygðin, but other translations, interpretations and discussions will also be consulted. A reading comprehension of Chinese is certainly an advantage but not a condition for participation in the course.

In this course we will discuss and ask about the nature of knowledge and tackle problems that relate to knowledge. Why is knowledge important? Is understanding more important than knowledge? What is the difference between knowledge and true belief? What kind of justification is needed to change true belief into knowledge? Is is possible to investigate knowledge like digestion, i.e. with the methods of the natural sciences, or can we only approach it from within, i.e. by investigating our own consciousness? Can we trust the opinions of others? What conditions must be met to do people justice, irrespective of sex, race, age, gender etc? We will mainly read texts from the 20th and 21st century and use the methods of analytic philosophy in reading and analysing philosophical texts.

The course will cover some of the philosophical and ethical issues raised by climate change. Some of these concern the choices of private individuals. We will for instance consider what duties climate change imposes on private individuals, and whether greenhouse gas offsetting can be a way of satisfying these duties. Most of the focus will however be on climate policy choice.  We will for instance discuss how to evaluate climate policies in light of the considerable uncertainty involved, and how to navigate the tradeoffs between current and future generations that such choices give rise to. We will also consider in detail some specific policy proposals, such as solar radiation management and a world climate bank. 

Direct study in seminar: Topics in climate ethics. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with the notion of humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. We demand human rights on the basis of our humanity, which suggests that this is a normative or ethically laden notion. On the other hand, dehumanization can have horrendous consequences, when marginalized persons or groups are denied full access to human society, and this used to justify oppression and violent acts. In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity and dehumanization, theories about them and different approaches to them. While there will be some readings from different periods in the history of philosophy, the main emphasis will be on materials from recent decades, which will be put in context with current events.

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

This seminar will consider both philosophical questions about movies (e.g. "What is a movie?") and philosophical questions raised in movies (e.g. "What is real?", "What is a marriage?"). 

The course is taught in English.

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.

This course is dedicated to various issues in contemporary metaphysics as well as the history of metaphysics in the 20th and 21st centuries. Likely topics covered include personal identity; free will; realism, anti-realism, and nominalism; natural kinds and fictional characters; possible worlds; the relation between language and world; and the relation between mind and body.

In this course we will consider many of the most prominent problems in the philosophy of science of the 20^th and 21^st century. How are scientific theories confirmed by experiments and observations? What is it for something to be a law of nature? Why should we trust scientific research more than other methods for obtaining knowledge? Is scientific research value-laden? And what is involved in the claim that science is objective?

Through the phenomenology of the body, the aim is to explore the nature of self-affection in the formation of meaning in the philosophy of Irigaray. Self-affection is linked to her concept of sexual difference, embodiment, and action in perception, and how interaction and inter-affection bring forth the knowable world. The aim is to investigate how sexual difference is intrinsically linked to affect, having transcendental, spiritual, and ethical implications based on our desire and how it functions as a political power to transform and overcome dualisms in Western culture. Finally, her works will be assessed and discussed in light of Hegel´s phenomenology of the spirit and Merleau-Ponty´s idea of the flesh of the world, as well as other writers. 

Direct study in seminar: The power of self-affection in the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

This course brings together world views and anthropologies that appear very far apart: the thought of classical German mystics like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Boehme, who deeply influenced German philosophy (e.g., Hegel, Schelling), and contemporary process philosophy exemplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Eugene Gendlin. Despite their obvious differences, these philosophies share implications that resonate with and can be interpreted through each other. They address concepts such as co-creation, ethical know-how, and an open-ended ontological understanding of the world. Humans play a decisive role—not as agents pushing agendas, but through their transformative potential. We will study the frameworks of each school of thought: the mystical tradition, using Christian language while radically reinterpreting it, and process philosophy, which embraces and spells out the complexity of an open-ended, interactional world. Engagement with the texts will include close reading, discussion, and philosophical practices derived from these traditions.

Direct study in seminar: Mystical medieval philosophy meets process philosophy. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The course aims to give a brief survey of selected topics in the philosophy of art; to introduce students to particular discussions, questions, theories and arguments in the philosophy of art through selected readings, both historical and contemporary; and to enable students to discuss topics related to aesthetics.

In this course, 19th and 20th century ideas that had fundamental effects on Western philosophy and intellectual history, will be examined. These are socially transformative ideas such as freedom, secularism, equality, resistance, the relation between the individual and society, ideas concerning existence and the soul, oppression, injustice, the national state and capitalism. Perhaps last but not least ideas about history, time and evolution of humanity and the planet. 

Each week a new thinker or idea that transformed Western intellectual history is introduced and engaged with. Thinkers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rosa Luxembourg and Emma Goldman are analysed and influential isms such as phenomenology, neoliberalism or postructuralism. The aim is to read these thinkers and isms in accordance with the zeitgeist of the historical period they belong to (to the extent that we, people in the 21st century can “read” zeitgeists of older periods). At the same time the aim is to dig deep into original texts and to acquire multi-dimensional understanding of the ideas. Important part of the course is also to look at these themes in relation to the present times and the issues happening at the moment in Western societies and all around the globe. 

The philosophical and religious classic Daodejing will be read chapter by chapter with the objective of understanding the text in light of the philosophical and religious teachings of Daoism. The main rendering of the text to be used is the bilingual Icelandic translation by Ragnar Baldursson, Ferlið og dygðin, but other translations, interpretations and discussions will also be consulted. A reading comprehension of Chinese is certainly an advantage but not a condition for participation in the course.

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

The BA dissertation in philosophy is intended to develop the student's ability to examine a chosen philosophical subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a member of the regular philosophy teaching staff. 

The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins. The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).

Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing [link: https://ritver.hi.is/is], which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.

Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

Further information on the BA dissertation in philosophy is available on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, History, and Archaeology.

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 fundamental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature? And, what is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

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.

The course will cover some of the philosophical and ethical issues raised by climate change. Some of these concern the choices of private individuals. We will for instance consider what duties climate change imposes on private individuals, and whether greenhouse gas offsetting can be a way of satisfying these duties. Most of the focus will however be on climate policy choice.  We will for instance discuss how to evaluate climate policies in light of the considerable uncertainty involved, and how to navigate the tradeoffs between current and future generations that such choices give rise to. We will also consider in detail some specific policy proposals, such as solar radiation management and a world climate bank. 

Direct study in seminar: Topics in climate ethics. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with the notion of humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. We demand human rights on the basis of our humanity, which suggests that this is a normative or ethically laden notion. On the other hand, dehumanization can have horrendous consequences, when marginalized persons or groups are denied full access to human society, and this used to justify oppression and violent acts. In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity and dehumanization, theories about them and different approaches to them. While there will be some readings from different periods in the history of philosophy, the main emphasis will be on materials from recent decades, which will be put in context with current events.

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

This seminar will consider both philosophical questions about movies (e.g. "What is a movie?") and philosophical questions raised in movies (e.g. "What is real?", "What is a marriage?"). 

The course is taught in English.

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.

This course aims to introduce students to the nature and development of science by examining episodes of its history and by disucssing recent theories concerning the nature, aims, and development of science. A special emphasis will be placed on the history of physical science from Aristotle to Newton, including developments in astronomy during the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th century. We will also specifically examine the history of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. These episodes and many others will be viewed through the lens of various theories of scientific progress, and through recent views about interactions between science and society at large. The course material may change depending on the students’ interest.

The BA dissertation in philosophy is intended to develop the student's ability to examine a chosen philosophical subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a member of the regular philosophy teaching staff. 

The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins. The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).

Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing [link: https://ritver.hi.is/is], which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.

Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

Further information on the BA dissertation in philosophy is available on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, History, and Archaeology.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

This course is an introduction to the history of Ancient Greek civilization, with an emphasis on Ancient Greek culture and world view, from earliest times to the Roman period.

This course is a beginner’s course in Latin. No prior knowledge of Latin is assumed at the outset. It introduces the basics of Latin grammar and syntax. Chosen passages will be read in Latin, translated and thoroughly analysed. Teaching consists of 24 lectures on particular aspects of the Latin language and assigned readings.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

This course is a beginner’s course in Ancient Greek. It introduces the basics of grammar and syntax of the Attic dialect. No prior knowledge of Greek is assumed at the outset. Reading knowledge of Ancient Greek will be prioritized and chosen passages will be read in Greek, translated and thoroughly analysed. Teaching consists of both lectures on particular aspects of the Greek language and assigned readings. It is essential that students read the assigned materials before each lecture.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

The course is an introduction to Classical Studies. It will deal with the history of the discipline as well as its subject matter and methods: Students will be introduced to classical philology and the various branches of Classical Studies, such as the history, literature, and philosophy of classical antiquity. The course will, moreover, address issues concerning the use of sources, methodology, and conventions in Classics. Students will be introduced to major resources. Knowledge of the classical languages is not required.

The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context. The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context.

The course is organized around three basic topics: (i) The human being as a rational, sentient and ethical being, (i) the aims of education and (iii) freedom and democracy. Among the philosophers and educational theorists discussed in the course are Plato, Rousseau, Kant, Dewey, Key, Neill and Freire.

The philosophical and religious tradition of the Eastern Church is distinct from the Roman Catholic tradition, which developed through scholarly activity in monasteries and universities during the Middle Ages and was closely connected to the intellectual currents that later led to major social changes in Western Europe. Within the Orthodox Churches, Neoplatonism always had a strong influence and directed religious thought more toward experience and expression than metaphysical analysis. However, the leading philosophers of the Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century were well-educated in Western philosophy, which resulted in the emergence, at the end of that century and the beginning of the twentieth, of a unique philosophical tradition grounded both in the spiritual emphasis of the Eastern Church and the rationalism of the West. This course offers a broad overview of this history of ideas and its most prominent thinkers, Ukrainian and Russian alike.

This course will begin by discussing the unique characteristics of Chinese religions that distinguish them in particular from the Abrahamic religious traditions. Subsequently, the course will move to its principal topic, i.e. the religions that have developed within Chinese culture, in particular Daoism, Chinese Buddhism (e.g. chan 禪, tiantai 天台 and jingtu 淨土) as well as popular Chinese religion influenced by Confucianism. Some basic writings of these religions will be accessed in order to understand their main teachings but the focus will be on their contemporary manifestations, rituals and social status in the People‘s Republic of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere. Lastly, as much as time allows, the course will discuss some recent syncretic Chinese movements such as Tiandi Jiao 天帝, Falun Gong 法輪功 and Cao Dai in Vietnam, as well as consider non-Chinese religious traditions that have taken firm roots in China such as Islam and Christianity.

The course is a continuation of LAT101G Latin I. Students will read a selection of Latin texts by various authors.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

The course is a continuation of KLM102G Ancient Greek I. The first part of the course resumes coverage of grammar and syntax of Ancient Greek (Attic) where Ancient Greek I left off. During the second half of the course, students will read a selection of Ancient Greek texts by different authors from various periods.

Students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

In this course we will read selections from medieval literature broadly conceived (from the end og the 4th century to the end of the 15th century): poetry and historiography, philosophy and theology. Texts will be analysed grammatically and discussed materially as needed.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, but students whose native language is not Icelandic may complete assignments and exams in English.

This course introduces Ancient Greek and Roman historiography, tracing its beginning and development, and discusses its scope, aims and methods. Among authors who will be discussed are Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Cato, Sallust, Livy, Plutarch, Suetonius, Tacitus, Ammianus Marcellinus and others. Readings will include excerpts from ancient texts in translation.

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 and extreme poverty. 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”.

This course discusses the question "What is Philosophy?" and the relationship of philosophy to science, art, religion and politics. We will read both classical and contemporary philosophy texts to study the different methods and problems of philosophy.

A survey of ancient philosophy, based upon a close reading of primary texts from the works of the Presocratics, Plato and Aristotle, and their Hellenistic successors. The primary aim is to offer an overview of the development of ancient philosophy. A secondary aim is to offer an insight into the importance of the history of philosophy for philosophy, and deepen the students' competence in reading philosophical works from the ancient world. At the completion of the course, the students should be acquainted with the main periods and individual thinkers of ancient philosophy, their views and arguments. They should be able to give an account of these views, support it with references to the primary sources, and compare the views of different philosophers. Further, they should have gained an insight into the importance of the history of philosophy for philosophy and the historical origins of classical philosophical problems.

The aim of this course is to show students the importance of critical thinking by introducing its main concepts and methods as well as different understandings of the notion. Furthermore, the aim is to train students in critical thinking and argumentation, both in a philosophical and an everyday context. Special emphasis will be placed on analysing arguments. The relationship between critical thinking and ethics will be thoroughly examined.

The teaching involves both lectures and discussion sessions. Assignments will primarily be aimed at practical tasks relevant to everyday experiences.

In this course, we discuss a few selected contemporary issues in the field of social and political philosophy. We will discuss and analyse key concepts of relevance for a good society, such as liberty, equality, justice and democracy with a special reference to Icelandic society. 

Students will be introduced to the basics of philosophical and formal logic. The course focuses on propositional logic (truth-functional logic) and quantified logic (first-order logic). Additionally, a brief survey of informal logic will be given at the beginning of the course, and philosophical questions concerning the nature and status of logic will be addressed toward the end of the course.

This course provides an overview of three principal moral theories: Aristotle's virtue ethics as presented in his Nichomachean Ethics, Kant's deontoloical ethics as presented in his Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mill's rule ethics as presented in his Utilitarianism.

Description
A survey of Western philosophy in the 17th and 18th Centuries, with emphasis on selected topics in the epistemology and metaphysics of the period, based upon a close reading and comparison of primary texts. Descartes, Hume and Kant are the principal authors discussed.

Teaching
The teaching involves both lectures and discussions. Lectures will give an exposition of the subject and/or of its main topics. Discussions will address more specific topics or questions.

In this course we will consider many of the most prominent problems in the philosophy of science of the 20^th and 21^st century. How are scientific theories confirmed by experiments and observations? What is it for something to be a law of nature? Why should we trust scientific research more than other methods for obtaining knowledge? Is scientific research value-laden? And what is involved in the claim that science is objective?

Through the phenomenology of the body, the aim is to explore the nature of self-affection in the formation of meaning in the philosophy of Irigaray. Self-affection is linked to her concept of sexual difference, embodiment, and action in perception, and how interaction and inter-affection bring forth the knowable world. The aim is to investigate how sexual difference is intrinsically linked to affect, having transcendental, spiritual, and ethical implications based on our desire and how it functions as a political power to transform and overcome dualisms in Western culture. Finally, her works will be assessed and discussed in light of Hegel´s phenomenology of the spirit and Merleau-Ponty´s idea of the flesh of the world, as well as other writers. 

Direct study in seminar: The power of self-affection in the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

This course brings together world views and anthropologies that appear very far apart: the thought of classical German mystics like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Boehme, who deeply influenced German philosophy (e.g., Hegel, Schelling), and contemporary process philosophy exemplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Eugene Gendlin. Despite their obvious differences, these philosophies share implications that resonate with and can be interpreted through each other. They address concepts such as co-creation, ethical know-how, and an open-ended ontological understanding of the world. Humans play a decisive role—not as agents pushing agendas, but through their transformative potential. We will study the frameworks of each school of thought: the mystical tradition, using Christian language while radically reinterpreting it, and process philosophy, which embraces and spells out the complexity of an open-ended, interactional world. Engagement with the texts will include close reading, discussion, and philosophical practices derived from these traditions.

Direct study in seminar: Mystical medieval philosophy meets process philosophy. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The course aims to give a brief survey of selected topics in the philosophy of art; to introduce students to particular discussions, questions, theories and arguments in the philosophy of art through selected readings, both historical and contemporary; and to enable students to discuss topics related to aesthetics.

In this course, 19th and 20th century ideas that had fundamental effects on Western philosophy and intellectual history, will be examined. These are socially transformative ideas such as freedom, secularism, equality, resistance, the relation between the individual and society, ideas concerning existence and the soul, oppression, injustice, the national state and capitalism. Perhaps last but not least ideas about history, time and evolution of humanity and the planet. 

Each week a new thinker or idea that transformed Western intellectual history is introduced and engaged with. Thinkers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rosa Luxembourg and Emma Goldman are analysed and influential isms such as phenomenology, neoliberalism or postructuralism. The aim is to read these thinkers and isms in accordance with the zeitgeist of the historical period they belong to (to the extent that we, people in the 21st century can “read” zeitgeists of older periods). At the same time the aim is to dig deep into original texts and to acquire multi-dimensional understanding of the ideas. Important part of the course is also to look at these themes in relation to the present times and the issues happening at the moment in Western societies and all around the globe. 

The philosophical and religious classic Daodejing will be read chapter by chapter with the objective of understanding the text in light of the philosophical and religious teachings of Daoism. The main rendering of the text to be used is the bilingual Icelandic translation by Ragnar Baldursson, Ferlið og dygðin, but other translations, interpretations and discussions will also be consulted. A reading comprehension of Chinese is certainly an advantage but not a condition for participation in the course.

In this course we will discuss and ask about the nature of knowledge and tackle problems that relate to knowledge. Why is knowledge important? Is understanding more important than knowledge? What is the difference between knowledge and true belief? What kind of justification is needed to change true belief into knowledge? Is is possible to investigate knowledge like digestion, i.e. with the methods of the natural sciences, or can we only approach it from within, i.e. by investigating our own consciousness? Can we trust the opinions of others? What conditions must be met to do people justice, irrespective of sex, race, age, gender etc? We will mainly read texts from the 20th and 21st century and use the methods of analytic philosophy in reading and analysing philosophical texts.

The course will cover some of the philosophical and ethical issues raised by climate change. Some of these concern the choices of private individuals. We will for instance consider what duties climate change imposes on private individuals, and whether greenhouse gas offsetting can be a way of satisfying these duties. Most of the focus will however be on climate policy choice.  We will for instance discuss how to evaluate climate policies in light of the considerable uncertainty involved, and how to navigate the tradeoffs between current and future generations that such choices give rise to. We will also consider in detail some specific policy proposals, such as solar radiation management and a world climate bank. 

Direct study in seminar: Topics in climate ethics. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with the notion of humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. We demand human rights on the basis of our humanity, which suggests that this is a normative or ethically laden notion. On the other hand, dehumanization can have horrendous consequences, when marginalized persons or groups are denied full access to human society, and this used to justify oppression and violent acts. In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity and dehumanization, theories about them and different approaches to them. While there will be some readings from different periods in the history of philosophy, the main emphasis will be on materials from recent decades, which will be put in context with current events.

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

This seminar will consider both philosophical questions about movies (e.g. "What is a movie?") and philosophical questions raised in movies (e.g. "What is real?", "What is a marriage?"). 

The course is taught in English.

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.

This course is dedicated to various issues in contemporary metaphysics as well as the history of metaphysics in the 20th and 21st centuries. Likely topics covered include personal identity; free will; realism, anti-realism, and nominalism; natural kinds and fictional characters; possible worlds; the relation between language and world; and the relation between mind and body.

In this course we will consider many of the most prominent problems in the philosophy of science of the 20^th and 21^st century. How are scientific theories confirmed by experiments and observations? What is it for something to be a law of nature? Why should we trust scientific research more than other methods for obtaining knowledge? Is scientific research value-laden? And what is involved in the claim that science is objective?

Through the phenomenology of the body, the aim is to explore the nature of self-affection in the formation of meaning in the philosophy of Irigaray. Self-affection is linked to her concept of sexual difference, embodiment, and action in perception, and how interaction and inter-affection bring forth the knowable world. The aim is to investigate how sexual difference is intrinsically linked to affect, having transcendental, spiritual, and ethical implications based on our desire and how it functions as a political power to transform and overcome dualisms in Western culture. Finally, her works will be assessed and discussed in light of Hegel´s phenomenology of the spirit and Merleau-Ponty´s idea of the flesh of the world, as well as other writers. 

Direct study in seminar: The power of self-affection in the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

This course brings together world views and anthropologies that appear very far apart: the thought of classical German mystics like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Boehme, who deeply influenced German philosophy (e.g., Hegel, Schelling), and contemporary process philosophy exemplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Eugene Gendlin. Despite their obvious differences, these philosophies share implications that resonate with and can be interpreted through each other. They address concepts such as co-creation, ethical know-how, and an open-ended ontological understanding of the world. Humans play a decisive role—not as agents pushing agendas, but through their transformative potential. We will study the frameworks of each school of thought: the mystical tradition, using Christian language while radically reinterpreting it, and process philosophy, which embraces and spells out the complexity of an open-ended, interactional world. Engagement with the texts will include close reading, discussion, and philosophical practices derived from these traditions.

Direct study in seminar: Mystical medieval philosophy meets process philosophy. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The course aims to give a brief survey of selected topics in the philosophy of art; to introduce students to particular discussions, questions, theories and arguments in the philosophy of art through selected readings, both historical and contemporary; and to enable students to discuss topics related to aesthetics.

In this course, 19th and 20th century ideas that had fundamental effects on Western philosophy and intellectual history, will be examined. These are socially transformative ideas such as freedom, secularism, equality, resistance, the relation between the individual and society, ideas concerning existence and the soul, oppression, injustice, the national state and capitalism. Perhaps last but not least ideas about history, time and evolution of humanity and the planet. 

Each week a new thinker or idea that transformed Western intellectual history is introduced and engaged with. Thinkers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rosa Luxembourg and Emma Goldman are analysed and influential isms such as phenomenology, neoliberalism or postructuralism. The aim is to read these thinkers and isms in accordance with the zeitgeist of the historical period they belong to (to the extent that we, people in the 21st century can “read” zeitgeists of older periods). At the same time the aim is to dig deep into original texts and to acquire multi-dimensional understanding of the ideas. Important part of the course is also to look at these themes in relation to the present times and the issues happening at the moment in Western societies and all around the globe. 

The philosophical and religious classic Daodejing will be read chapter by chapter with the objective of understanding the text in light of the philosophical and religious teachings of Daoism. The main rendering of the text to be used is the bilingual Icelandic translation by Ragnar Baldursson, Ferlið og dygðin, but other translations, interpretations and discussions will also be consulted. A reading comprehension of Chinese is certainly an advantage but not a condition for participation in the course.

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

The BA dissertation in philosophy is intended to develop the student's ability to examine a chosen philosophical subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a member of the regular philosophy teaching staff. 

The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins. The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).

Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing [link: https://ritver.hi.is/is], which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.

Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

Further information on the BA dissertation in philosophy is available on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, History, and Archaeology.

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 fundamental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature? And, what is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

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.

The course will cover some of the philosophical and ethical issues raised by climate change. Some of these concern the choices of private individuals. We will for instance consider what duties climate change imposes on private individuals, and whether greenhouse gas offsetting can be a way of satisfying these duties. Most of the focus will however be on climate policy choice.  We will for instance discuss how to evaluate climate policies in light of the considerable uncertainty involved, and how to navigate the tradeoffs between current and future generations that such choices give rise to. We will also consider in detail some specific policy proposals, such as solar radiation management and a world climate bank. 

Direct study in seminar: Topics in climate ethics. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with the notion of humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. We demand human rights on the basis of our humanity, which suggests that this is a normative or ethically laden notion. On the other hand, dehumanization can have horrendous consequences, when marginalized persons or groups are denied full access to human society, and this used to justify oppression and violent acts. In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity and dehumanization, theories about them and different approaches to them. While there will be some readings from different periods in the history of philosophy, the main emphasis will be on materials from recent decades, which will be put in context with current events.

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

This seminar will consider both philosophical questions about movies (e.g. "What is a movie?") and philosophical questions raised in movies (e.g. "What is real?", "What is a marriage?"). 

The course is taught in English.

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.

This course aims to introduce students to the nature and development of science by examining episodes of its history and by disucssing recent theories concerning the nature, aims, and development of science. A special emphasis will be placed on the history of physical science from Aristotle to Newton, including developments in astronomy during the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th century. We will also specifically examine the history of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. These episodes and many others will be viewed through the lens of various theories of scientific progress, and through recent views about interactions between science and society at large. The course material may change depending on the students’ interest.

The BA dissertation in philosophy is intended to develop the student's ability to examine a chosen philosophical subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a member of the regular philosophy teaching staff. 

The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins. The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).

Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing [link: https://ritver.hi.is/is], which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.

Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

Further information on the BA dissertation in philosophy is available on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, History, and Archaeology.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

This course is an introduction to the history of Ancient Greek civilization, with an emphasis on Ancient Greek culture and world view, from earliest times to the Roman period.

This course is a beginner’s course in Latin. No prior knowledge of Latin is assumed at the outset. It introduces the basics of Latin grammar and syntax. Chosen passages will be read in Latin, translated and thoroughly analysed. Teaching consists of 24 lectures on particular aspects of the Latin language and assigned readings.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

This course is a beginner’s course in Ancient Greek. It introduces the basics of grammar and syntax of the Attic dialect. No prior knowledge of Greek is assumed at the outset. Reading knowledge of Ancient Greek will be prioritized and chosen passages will be read in Greek, translated and thoroughly analysed. Teaching consists of both lectures on particular aspects of the Greek language and assigned readings. It is essential that students read the assigned materials before each lecture.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

The course is an introduction to Classical Studies. It will deal with the history of the discipline as well as its subject matter and methods: Students will be introduced to classical philology and the various branches of Classical Studies, such as the history, literature, and philosophy of classical antiquity. The course will, moreover, address issues concerning the use of sources, methodology, and conventions in Classics. Students will be introduced to major resources. Knowledge of the classical languages is not required.

The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context. The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context.

The course is organized around three basic topics: (i) The human being as a rational, sentient and ethical being, (i) the aims of education and (iii) freedom and democracy. Among the philosophers and educational theorists discussed in the course are Plato, Rousseau, Kant, Dewey, Key, Neill and Freire.

The philosophical and religious tradition of the Eastern Church is distinct from the Roman Catholic tradition, which developed through scholarly activity in monasteries and universities during the Middle Ages and was closely connected to the intellectual currents that later led to major social changes in Western Europe. Within the Orthodox Churches, Neoplatonism always had a strong influence and directed religious thought more toward experience and expression than metaphysical analysis. However, the leading philosophers of the Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century were well-educated in Western philosophy, which resulted in the emergence, at the end of that century and the beginning of the twentieth, of a unique philosophical tradition grounded both in the spiritual emphasis of the Eastern Church and the rationalism of the West. This course offers a broad overview of this history of ideas and its most prominent thinkers, Ukrainian and Russian alike.

This course will begin by discussing the unique characteristics of Chinese religions that distinguish them in particular from the Abrahamic religious traditions. Subsequently, the course will move to its principal topic, i.e. the religions that have developed within Chinese culture, in particular Daoism, Chinese Buddhism (e.g. chan 禪, tiantai 天台 and jingtu 淨土) as well as popular Chinese religion influenced by Confucianism. Some basic writings of these religions will be accessed in order to understand their main teachings but the focus will be on their contemporary manifestations, rituals and social status in the People‘s Republic of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere. Lastly, as much as time allows, the course will discuss some recent syncretic Chinese movements such as Tiandi Jiao 天帝, Falun Gong 法輪功 and Cao Dai in Vietnam, as well as consider non-Chinese religious traditions that have taken firm roots in China such as Islam and Christianity.

The course is a continuation of LAT101G Latin I. Students will read a selection of Latin texts by various authors.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

The course is a continuation of KLM102G Ancient Greek I. The first part of the course resumes coverage of grammar and syntax of Ancient Greek (Attic) where Ancient Greek I left off. During the second half of the course, students will read a selection of Ancient Greek texts by different authors from various periods.

Students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

In this course we will read selections from medieval literature broadly conceived (from the end og the 4th century to the end of the 15th century): poetry and historiography, philosophy and theology. Texts will be analysed grammatically and discussed materially as needed.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, but students whose native language is not Icelandic may complete assignments and exams in English.

This course introduces Ancient Greek and Roman historiography, tracing its beginning and development, and discusses its scope, aims and methods. Among authors who will be discussed are Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Cato, Sallust, Livy, Plutarch, Suetonius, Tacitus, Ammianus Marcellinus and others. Readings will include excerpts from ancient texts in translation.

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 and extreme poverty. 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”.

This course discusses the question "What is Philosophy?" and the relationship of philosophy to science, art, religion and politics. We will read both classical and contemporary philosophy texts to study the different methods and problems of philosophy.

A survey of ancient philosophy, based upon a close reading of primary texts from the works of the Presocratics, Plato and Aristotle, and their Hellenistic successors. The primary aim is to offer an overview of the development of ancient philosophy. A secondary aim is to offer an insight into the importance of the history of philosophy for philosophy, and deepen the students' competence in reading philosophical works from the ancient world. At the completion of the course, the students should be acquainted with the main periods and individual thinkers of ancient philosophy, their views and arguments. They should be able to give an account of these views, support it with references to the primary sources, and compare the views of different philosophers. Further, they should have gained an insight into the importance of the history of philosophy for philosophy and the historical origins of classical philosophical problems.

The aim of this course is to show students the importance of critical thinking by introducing its main concepts and methods as well as different understandings of the notion. Furthermore, the aim is to train students in critical thinking and argumentation, both in a philosophical and an everyday context. Special emphasis will be placed on analysing arguments. The relationship between critical thinking and ethics will be thoroughly examined.

The teaching involves both lectures and discussion sessions. Assignments will primarily be aimed at practical tasks relevant to everyday experiences.

In this course, we discuss a few selected contemporary issues in the field of social and political philosophy. We will discuss and analyse key concepts of relevance for a good society, such as liberty, equality, justice and democracy with a special reference to Icelandic society. 

Students will be introduced to the basics of philosophical and formal logic. The course focuses on propositional logic (truth-functional logic) and quantified logic (first-order logic). Additionally, a brief survey of informal logic will be given at the beginning of the course, and philosophical questions concerning the nature and status of logic will be addressed toward the end of the course.

This course provides an overview of three principal moral theories: Aristotle's virtue ethics as presented in his Nichomachean Ethics, Kant's deontoloical ethics as presented in his Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mill's rule ethics as presented in his Utilitarianism.

Description
A survey of Western philosophy in the 17th and 18th Centuries, with emphasis on selected topics in the epistemology and metaphysics of the period, based upon a close reading and comparison of primary texts. Descartes, Hume and Kant are the principal authors discussed.

Teaching
The teaching involves both lectures and discussions. Lectures will give an exposition of the subject and/or of its main topics. Discussions will address more specific topics or questions.

In this course we will consider many of the most prominent problems in the philosophy of science of the 20^th and 21^st century. How are scientific theories confirmed by experiments and observations? What is it for something to be a law of nature? Why should we trust scientific research more than other methods for obtaining knowledge? Is scientific research value-laden? And what is involved in the claim that science is objective?

Through the phenomenology of the body, the aim is to explore the nature of self-affection in the formation of meaning in the philosophy of Irigaray. Self-affection is linked to her concept of sexual difference, embodiment, and action in perception, and how interaction and inter-affection bring forth the knowable world. The aim is to investigate how sexual difference is intrinsically linked to affect, having transcendental, spiritual, and ethical implications based on our desire and how it functions as a political power to transform and overcome dualisms in Western culture. Finally, her works will be assessed and discussed in light of Hegel´s phenomenology of the spirit and Merleau-Ponty´s idea of the flesh of the world, as well as other writers. 

Direct study in seminar: The power of self-affection in the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

This course brings together world views and anthropologies that appear very far apart: the thought of classical German mystics like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Boehme, who deeply influenced German philosophy (e.g., Hegel, Schelling), and contemporary process philosophy exemplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Eugene Gendlin. Despite their obvious differences, these philosophies share implications that resonate with and can be interpreted through each other. They address concepts such as co-creation, ethical know-how, and an open-ended ontological understanding of the world. Humans play a decisive role—not as agents pushing agendas, but through their transformative potential. We will study the frameworks of each school of thought: the mystical tradition, using Christian language while radically reinterpreting it, and process philosophy, which embraces and spells out the complexity of an open-ended, interactional world. Engagement with the texts will include close reading, discussion, and philosophical practices derived from these traditions.

Direct study in seminar: Mystical medieval philosophy meets process philosophy. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The course aims to give a brief survey of selected topics in the philosophy of art; to introduce students to particular discussions, questions, theories and arguments in the philosophy of art through selected readings, both historical and contemporary; and to enable students to discuss topics related to aesthetics.

In this course, 19th and 20th century ideas that had fundamental effects on Western philosophy and intellectual history, will be examined. These are socially transformative ideas such as freedom, secularism, equality, resistance, the relation between the individual and society, ideas concerning existence and the soul, oppression, injustice, the national state and capitalism. Perhaps last but not least ideas about history, time and evolution of humanity and the planet. 

Each week a new thinker or idea that transformed Western intellectual history is introduced and engaged with. Thinkers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rosa Luxembourg and Emma Goldman are analysed and influential isms such as phenomenology, neoliberalism or postructuralism. The aim is to read these thinkers and isms in accordance with the zeitgeist of the historical period they belong to (to the extent that we, people in the 21st century can “read” zeitgeists of older periods). At the same time the aim is to dig deep into original texts and to acquire multi-dimensional understanding of the ideas. Important part of the course is also to look at these themes in relation to the present times and the issues happening at the moment in Western societies and all around the globe. 

The philosophical and religious classic Daodejing will be read chapter by chapter with the objective of understanding the text in light of the philosophical and religious teachings of Daoism. The main rendering of the text to be used is the bilingual Icelandic translation by Ragnar Baldursson, Ferlið og dygðin, but other translations, interpretations and discussions will also be consulted. A reading comprehension of Chinese is certainly an advantage but not a condition for participation in the course.

In this course we will discuss and ask about the nature of knowledge and tackle problems that relate to knowledge. Why is knowledge important? Is understanding more important than knowledge? What is the difference between knowledge and true belief? What kind of justification is needed to change true belief into knowledge? Is is possible to investigate knowledge like digestion, i.e. with the methods of the natural sciences, or can we only approach it from within, i.e. by investigating our own consciousness? Can we trust the opinions of others? What conditions must be met to do people justice, irrespective of sex, race, age, gender etc? We will mainly read texts from the 20th and 21st century and use the methods of analytic philosophy in reading and analysing philosophical texts.

The course will cover some of the philosophical and ethical issues raised by climate change. Some of these concern the choices of private individuals. We will for instance consider what duties climate change imposes on private individuals, and whether greenhouse gas offsetting can be a way of satisfying these duties. Most of the focus will however be on climate policy choice.  We will for instance discuss how to evaluate climate policies in light of the considerable uncertainty involved, and how to navigate the tradeoffs between current and future generations that such choices give rise to. We will also consider in detail some specific policy proposals, such as solar radiation management and a world climate bank. 

Direct study in seminar: Topics in climate ethics. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with the notion of humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. We demand human rights on the basis of our humanity, which suggests that this is a normative or ethically laden notion. On the other hand, dehumanization can have horrendous consequences, when marginalized persons or groups are denied full access to human society, and this used to justify oppression and violent acts. In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity and dehumanization, theories about them and different approaches to them. While there will be some readings from different periods in the history of philosophy, the main emphasis will be on materials from recent decades, which will be put in context with current events.

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

This seminar will consider both philosophical questions about movies (e.g. "What is a movie?") and philosophical questions raised in movies (e.g. "What is real?", "What is a marriage?"). 

The course is taught in English.

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.

This course is dedicated to various issues in contemporary metaphysics as well as the history of metaphysics in the 20th and 21st centuries. Likely topics covered include personal identity; free will; realism, anti-realism, and nominalism; natural kinds and fictional characters; possible worlds; the relation between language and world; and the relation between mind and body.

In this course we will consider many of the most prominent problems in the philosophy of science of the 20^th and 21^st century. How are scientific theories confirmed by experiments and observations? What is it for something to be a law of nature? Why should we trust scientific research more than other methods for obtaining knowledge? Is scientific research value-laden? And what is involved in the claim that science is objective?

Through the phenomenology of the body, the aim is to explore the nature of self-affection in the formation of meaning in the philosophy of Irigaray. Self-affection is linked to her concept of sexual difference, embodiment, and action in perception, and how interaction and inter-affection bring forth the knowable world. The aim is to investigate how sexual difference is intrinsically linked to affect, having transcendental, spiritual, and ethical implications based on our desire and how it functions as a political power to transform and overcome dualisms in Western culture. Finally, her works will be assessed and discussed in light of Hegel´s phenomenology of the spirit and Merleau-Ponty´s idea of the flesh of the world, as well as other writers. 

Direct study in seminar: The power of self-affection in the philosophy of Luce Irigaray. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

This course brings together world views and anthropologies that appear very far apart: the thought of classical German mystics like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Boehme, who deeply influenced German philosophy (e.g., Hegel, Schelling), and contemporary process philosophy exemplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Eugene Gendlin. Despite their obvious differences, these philosophies share implications that resonate with and can be interpreted through each other. They address concepts such as co-creation, ethical know-how, and an open-ended ontological understanding of the world. Humans play a decisive role—not as agents pushing agendas, but through their transformative potential. We will study the frameworks of each school of thought: the mystical tradition, using Christian language while radically reinterpreting it, and process philosophy, which embraces and spells out the complexity of an open-ended, interactional world. Engagement with the texts will include close reading, discussion, and philosophical practices derived from these traditions.

Direct study in seminar: Mystical medieval philosophy meets process philosophy. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

The course aims to give a brief survey of selected topics in the philosophy of art; to introduce students to particular discussions, questions, theories and arguments in the philosophy of art through selected readings, both historical and contemporary; and to enable students to discuss topics related to aesthetics.

In this course, 19th and 20th century ideas that had fundamental effects on Western philosophy and intellectual history, will be examined. These are socially transformative ideas such as freedom, secularism, equality, resistance, the relation between the individual and society, ideas concerning existence and the soul, oppression, injustice, the national state and capitalism. Perhaps last but not least ideas about history, time and evolution of humanity and the planet. 

Each week a new thinker or idea that transformed Western intellectual history is introduced and engaged with. Thinkers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rosa Luxembourg and Emma Goldman are analysed and influential isms such as phenomenology, neoliberalism or postructuralism. The aim is to read these thinkers and isms in accordance with the zeitgeist of the historical period they belong to (to the extent that we, people in the 21st century can “read” zeitgeists of older periods). At the same time the aim is to dig deep into original texts and to acquire multi-dimensional understanding of the ideas. Important part of the course is also to look at these themes in relation to the present times and the issues happening at the moment in Western societies and all around the globe. 

The philosophical and religious classic Daodejing will be read chapter by chapter with the objective of understanding the text in light of the philosophical and religious teachings of Daoism. The main rendering of the text to be used is the bilingual Icelandic translation by Ragnar Baldursson, Ferlið og dygðin, but other translations, interpretations and discussions will also be consulted. A reading comprehension of Chinese is certainly an advantage but not a condition for participation in the course.

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

The BA dissertation in philosophy is intended to develop the student's ability to examine a chosen philosophical subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a member of the regular philosophy teaching staff. 

The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins. The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).

Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing [link: https://ritver.hi.is/is], which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.

Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

Further information on the BA dissertation in philosophy is available on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, History, and Archaeology.

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 fundamental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature? And, what is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

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.

The course will cover some of the philosophical and ethical issues raised by climate change. Some of these concern the choices of private individuals. We will for instance consider what duties climate change imposes on private individuals, and whether greenhouse gas offsetting can be a way of satisfying these duties. Most of the focus will however be on climate policy choice.  We will for instance discuss how to evaluate climate policies in light of the considerable uncertainty involved, and how to navigate the tradeoffs between current and future generations that such choices give rise to. We will also consider in detail some specific policy proposals, such as solar radiation management and a world climate bank. 

Direct study in seminar: Topics in climate ethics. Students must finish related seminar to finish the direct study.

Humans have long been concerned with the notion of humanity, whether we call it human nature, the meaning of being human, or something else. We demand human rights on the basis of our humanity, which suggests that this is a normative or ethically laden notion. On the other hand, dehumanization can have horrendous consequences, when marginalized persons or groups are denied full access to human society, and this used to justify oppression and violent acts. In this seminar we will consider several possible definitions of humanity and dehumanization, theories about them and different approaches to them. While there will be some readings from different periods in the history of philosophy, the main emphasis will be on materials from recent decades, which will be put in context with current events.

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

This seminar will consider both philosophical questions about movies (e.g. "What is a movie?") and philosophical questions raised in movies (e.g. "What is real?", "What is a marriage?"). 

The course is taught in English.

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.

This course aims to introduce students to the nature and development of science by examining episodes of its history and by disucssing recent theories concerning the nature, aims, and development of science. A special emphasis will be placed on the history of physical science from Aristotle to Newton, including developments in astronomy during the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th century. We will also specifically examine the history of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. These episodes and many others will be viewed through the lens of various theories of scientific progress, and through recent views about interactions between science and society at large. The course material may change depending on the students’ interest.

The BA dissertation in philosophy is intended to develop the student's ability to examine a chosen philosophical subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a member of the regular philosophy teaching staff. 

The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins. The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).

Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing [link: https://ritver.hi.is/is], which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.

Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

Further information on the BA dissertation in philosophy is available on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, History, and Archaeology.

This course explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and creative practices, focusing on the artistic, philosophical, ethical, and socio-cultural dimensions of AI-driven creativity. Grounded in the humanities, with emphasis on creativity studies, the course will enable students to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic production. Having explored key definitions of creativity itself, the course covers key issues such as the automation of creative work, the implications of AI-generated content for intellectual property and copyright, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural appropriation in the digital age. Students will engage with debates on the tension between industrial AI big-data-driven systems versus small-data approaches, examining the consequences for artistic innovation and originality. Through hands-on exercises and real-world case studies, students will explore a variety of creative works, study production platforms where AI technologies are used, and gain practical experience in the application of AI for creative purposes. The course integrates modern theories of creativity with critical analysis of AI, and it will challenge students to rethink the boundaries of human and machine creativity. Course assessment will be based on creative work diaries that students will keep during the course, active participation in class, as well as an oral presentation of a short, written piece.

This course is an introduction to the history of Ancient Greek civilization, with an emphasis on Ancient Greek culture and world view, from earliest times to the Roman period.

This course is a beginner’s course in Latin. No prior knowledge of Latin is assumed at the outset. It introduces the basics of Latin grammar and syntax. Chosen passages will be read in Latin, translated and thoroughly analysed. Teaching consists of 24 lectures on particular aspects of the Latin language and assigned readings.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

This course is a beginner’s course in Ancient Greek. It introduces the basics of grammar and syntax of the Attic dialect. No prior knowledge of Greek is assumed at the outset. Reading knowledge of Ancient Greek will be prioritized and chosen passages will be read in Greek, translated and thoroughly analysed. Teaching consists of both lectures on particular aspects of the Greek language and assigned readings. It is essential that students read the assigned materials before each lecture.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

The course is an introduction to Classical Studies. It will deal with the history of the discipline as well as its subject matter and methods: Students will be introduced to classical philology and the various branches of Classical Studies, such as the history, literature, and philosophy of classical antiquity. The course will, moreover, address issues concerning the use of sources, methodology, and conventions in Classics. Students will be introduced to major resources. Knowledge of the classical languages is not required.

The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context. The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context.

The course is organized around three basic topics: (i) The human being as a rational, sentient and ethical being, (i) the aims of education and (iii) freedom and democracy. Among the philosophers and educational theorists discussed in the course are Plato, Rousseau, Kant, Dewey, Key, Neill and Freire.

The philosophical and religious tradition of the Eastern Church is distinct from the Roman Catholic tradition, which developed through scholarly activity in monasteries and universities during the Middle Ages and was closely connected to the intellectual currents that later led to major social changes in Western Europe. Within the Orthodox Churches, Neoplatonism always had a strong influence and directed religious thought more toward experience and expression than metaphysical analysis. However, the leading philosophers of the Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century were well-educated in Western philosophy, which resulted in the emergence, at the end of that century and the beginning of the twentieth, of a unique philosophical tradition grounded both in the spiritual emphasis of the Eastern Church and the rationalism of the West. This course offers a broad overview of this history of ideas and its most prominent thinkers, Ukrainian and Russian alike.

This course will begin by discussing the unique characteristics of Chinese religions that distinguish them in particular from the Abrahamic religious traditions. Subsequently, the course will move to its principal topic, i.e. the religions that have developed within Chinese culture, in particular Daoism, Chinese Buddhism (e.g. chan 禪, tiantai 天台 and jingtu 淨土) as well as popular Chinese religion influenced by Confucianism. Some basic writings of these religions will be accessed in order to understand their main teachings but the focus will be on their contemporary manifestations, rituals and social status in the People‘s Republic of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere. Lastly, as much as time allows, the course will discuss some recent syncretic Chinese movements such as Tiandi Jiao 天帝, Falun Gong 法輪功 and Cao Dai in Vietnam, as well as consider non-Chinese religious traditions that have taken firm roots in China such as Islam and Christianity.

The course is a continuation of LAT101G Latin I. Students will read a selection of Latin texts by various authors.

This course is taught in Icelandic but students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

The course is a continuation of KLM102G Ancient Greek I. The first part of the course resumes coverage of grammar and syntax of Ancient Greek (Attic) where Ancient Greek I left off. During the second half of the course, students will read a selection of Ancient Greek texts by different authors from various periods.

Students can get permission of the instructor to complete assignments and exams in English.

In this course we will read selections from medieval literature broadly conceived (from the end og the 4th century to the end of the 15th century): poetry and historiography, philosophy and theology. Texts will be analysed grammatically and discussed materially as needed.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, but students whose native language is not Icelandic may complete assignments and exams in English.

This course introduces Ancient Greek and Roman historiography, tracing its beginning and development, and discusses its scope, aims and methods. Among authors who will be discussed are Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Cato, Sallust, Livy, Plutarch, Suetonius, Tacitus, Ammianus Marcellinus and others. Readings will include excerpts from ancient texts in translation.

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 and extreme poverty. 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”.