The course is taught in the first semester of the student’s MA programme and marks the start of the work which will culminate with the writing of an MA thesis in the 4^th semester. In project 1 the student works under supervision, reviewing literature in the subject of their research project writing a report on the state of the art in that field.

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

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

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

History of Ideas after 1750.

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

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

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.

This course is a comprehensive examination into the major components of ethical and social responsibility including economic, legal, political, ethical and societal issues involving the interaction of business, government and society.

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

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education in the broadest sense of the term. During the fall semester, the focus will be on Confucian philosophy, beginning with the discussion of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects. We will then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education.

In addition to these positive notions, we will explore some of their opposites as well, including phrases such as “rotten wood cannot be carved” (xiumu buke diao ye 朽木不可雕也), and descriptions of “petty people (xiao ren 小人),” or those who have not learned much. We will also look at descriptions of people who merely imitate but do not cultivate themselves, or pretenders. Exploring those who do not educate themselves properly helps define the contours of what education means.

Goals

Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy?  

Approach and readings

We will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts. The course is co-taught with Paul J. D’Ambrosio and his students at East China Normal University. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

The course is taught in the second semester and involves on the one hand the development of a research question and on the other hand the writing of a reserch plan that meets general criteria for research grant applications.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and diminishing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.  

After focusing on Daoism for the approximately first half of the semester, we will move to Xuanxue 玄学 philosophy, sometimes translated as “Neo-Daoism,” where the relationship between Daoism and Confucianism is critically reimagined. Neo-Daoist thinkers often found creative ways to intertwin the arguments of early Confucian texts with Daoist ones. Here we find new meanings of important terms such as xing 性 (human nature) and xue 学 and reimaged understandings of role models. While early Daoist classics such as the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi might be read as coming down very harshly on any form of imitation or study of past models favoring being self-so and practicing non-action instead, Xuanxue thinkers find an alternative way to think about learning. According to prominent Xuanxue thinkers Daoist ideas of self-so and non-action are actually commensurable with studying. Rather than learn the content of what others have done, one can learn how to do what they do, which involves being self-so and practicing non-action. This is a third perspective on learning, which critically reimagines the relationship between classical Confucian and Daoist views on education.

Goals

Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy?  

Approach and readings

We will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Daodejing, Zhuangzi and Neo-Daoist writings. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for most of the abovementioned texts. The course is co-taught with Paul J. D’Ambrosio and his students at East China Normal University. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected, but students who do not take the prior course on Confucianism (autumn 2024) are encouraged to watch recordings from that course, which will be made available.

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

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

History of Ideas after 1750.

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

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

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.

This course is a comprehensive examination into the major components of ethical and social responsibility including economic, legal, political, ethical and societal issues involving the interaction of business, government and society.

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

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education in the broadest sense of the term. During the fall semester, the focus will be on Confucian philosophy, beginning with the discussion of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects. We will then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education.

In addition to these positive notions, we will explore some of their opposites as well, including phrases such as “rotten wood cannot be carved” (xiumu buke diao ye 朽木不可雕也), and descriptions of “petty people (xiao ren 小人),” or those who have not learned much. We will also look at descriptions of people who merely imitate but do not cultivate themselves, or pretenders. Exploring those who do not educate themselves properly helps define the contours of what education means.

Goals

Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy?  

Approach and readings

We will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts. The course is co-taught with Paul J. D’Ambrosio and his students at East China Normal University. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

The course is taught in the third semester. The student carries out defined part of the MA research project under supervision. Furthermore the student revises the original research plan in the light of this experience ans should then be ready to independently write an MA thesis.

.

The course is taught in the first semester of the student’s MA programme and marks the start of the work which will culminate with the writing of an MA thesis in the 4^th semester. In project 1 the student works under supervision, reviewing literature in the subject of their research project writing a report on the state of the art in that field.

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

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

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

History of Ideas after 1750.

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

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

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.

This course is a comprehensive examination into the major components of ethical and social responsibility including economic, legal, political, ethical and societal issues involving the interaction of business, government and society.

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

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education in the broadest sense of the term. During the fall semester, the focus will be on Confucian philosophy, beginning with the discussion of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects. We will then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education.

In addition to these positive notions, we will explore some of their opposites as well, including phrases such as “rotten wood cannot be carved” (xiumu buke diao ye 朽木不可雕也), and descriptions of “petty people (xiao ren 小人),” or those who have not learned much. We will also look at descriptions of people who merely imitate but do not cultivate themselves, or pretenders. Exploring those who do not educate themselves properly helps define the contours of what education means.

Goals

Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy?  

Approach and readings

We will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts. The course is co-taught with Paul J. D’Ambrosio and his students at East China Normal University. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

The course is taught in the second semester and involves on the one hand the development of a research question and on the other hand the writing of a reserch plan that meets general criteria for research grant applications.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Daoist thinkers, notably the authors of the Daodejing 道德经 and the Zhuangzi 庄子, reacted critically to some aspects of the Confucian philosophy of education, often arguing that it is likely to lead to dogmatism and hypocrisy. Instead, they suggest a less socially bound and more independent kind of learning or cultivation that takes seriously the “way of the world,” or the general cosmological tendency and how to align with it. They speak, for instance, of unlearning and diminishing the self. As an alternative to concentrating on learning from classics and others, Daoist texts advocate being more natural, acting in ziran 自然 (self-so) and wuwei 无为 (non-action) manners.  

After focusing on Daoism for the approximately first half of the semester, we will move to Xuanxue 玄学 philosophy, sometimes translated as “Neo-Daoism,” where the relationship between Daoism and Confucianism is critically reimagined. Neo-Daoist thinkers often found creative ways to intertwin the arguments of early Confucian texts with Daoist ones. Here we find new meanings of important terms such as xing 性 (human nature) and xue 学 and reimaged understandings of role models. While early Daoist classics such as the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi might be read as coming down very harshly on any form of imitation or study of past models favoring being self-so and practicing non-action instead, Xuanxue thinkers find an alternative way to think about learning. According to prominent Xuanxue thinkers Daoist ideas of self-so and non-action are actually commensurable with studying. Rather than learn the content of what others have done, one can learn how to do what they do, which involves being self-so and practicing non-action. This is a third perspective on learning, which critically reimagines the relationship between classical Confucian and Daoist views on education.

Goals

Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy?  

Approach and readings

We will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Daodejing, Zhuangzi and Neo-Daoist writings. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for most of the abovementioned texts. The course is co-taught with Paul J. D’Ambrosio and his students at East China Normal University. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected, but students who do not take the prior course on Confucianism (autumn 2024) are encouraged to watch recordings from that course, which will be made available.

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

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

History of Ideas after 1750.

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

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

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.

This course is a comprehensive examination into the major components of ethical and social responsibility including economic, legal, political, ethical and societal issues involving the interaction of business, government and society.

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

An individual project on the ethics of nature.

This course elucidates the early Chinese philosophy of education in the broadest sense of the term. During the fall semester, the focus will be on Confucian philosophy, beginning with the discussion of education and personal cultivation in the Confucian Analects. We will then move to selected parts of other important Confucian writings, such as the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Primary notions of the Chinese philosophy of education will be introduced and explained, including jiao 教 (teaching), xue 学 (study/emulation), xiuji 修己 and xiushen 修身 (cultivating onself), li 礼 (rituals), xing 性 (natural dispositions), and junzi 君子 (exemplary people), among others. We will also investigate the importance of role models in Confucian education.

In addition to these positive notions, we will explore some of their opposites as well, including phrases such as “rotten wood cannot be carved” (xiumu buke diao ye 朽木不可雕也), and descriptions of “petty people (xiao ren 小人),” or those who have not learned much. We will also look at descriptions of people who merely imitate but do not cultivate themselves, or pretenders. Exploring those who do not educate themselves properly helps define the contours of what education means.

Goals

Some of the main questions that will be raised (and possibly answered) are: How is education understood in early Chinese culture? What are its primary aims? What happens when education fails? Can education be bad or dangerous? What social and what “individualist” aspects do education and personal cultivation entail? How does one’s education influence others? What role do others play in education? Are role models necessary? What sort of roles do tradition and emulation play as methods of learning in Confucianism? And, finally, can tradition and emulation be overemphasized? What status does education generally play in Confucian philosophy?  

Approach and readings

We will mainly focus on the primary texts, namely, Analects, Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), Daxue (The Great Learning), the Xueji (Records of Learning), the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Students may follow along with any translation (in English or their native language) of these classics. During the class we will likely read directly from the original, students may refer to ctext.org for all the abovementioned texts. The course is co-taught with Paul J. D’Ambrosio and his students at East China Normal University. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy is expected.

The course is taught in the third semester. The student carries out defined part of the MA research project under supervision. Furthermore the student revises the original research plan in the light of this experience ans should then be ready to independently write an MA thesis.

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