Admission requirements
The usual LUC prerequisites for this course are Introduction to Political Philosophy (8101GJORD) and Comparative Worldviews (8101HIPLR), but students who wish to enrol on the strength of another background in philosophy should contact the course instructor before registration. This course is usually a prerequisite for the 300-level course on Comparative Ethics (8301HIPLR).
Description
This course focuses on the ways in which diverse philosophical frameworks have conceived of the fundamental concept of the human being. Resting on the premise that all ethical positions must somehow relate to the question of what it means to be human, this course takes us through a range of answers to this question and encourages us to explore the various ways in which these answers can give rise to different ethical positions (which will be explored in the 300-level course on Comparative Ethics). Sources are drawn from distinct intellectual traditions from varied regions and periods—from Mozi to Descartes to Sartre, from metaphysics to metaethics to philosophy of mind—to give us a sense of how to compare different philosophical standpoints.
Course objectives
As we contemplate past philosophical meanderings about what it is and means to be human, alongside coming to formulate our own thoughts on the matter, we should expect to achieve:
a clear understanding of the central themes, concepts, and traditions related to philosophy of being;
a deep appreciation of the range and diversity of the sources of three main branches of philosophy, namely: metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics;
a keen awareness of the interconnections among different branches and fields of philosophy, as well as their dialogue with disciplines beyond the humanities;
a critical capacity for reading and analysing philosophical texts; and
a rigorous faculty for constructing and presenting philosophical arguments
Timetable
Please see the LUC website: www.lucthehague.nl
Mode of instruction
Seminars (two 2-hour sessions per week, Weeks 1 – 7) will form the main body of this course, and a blackboard site will support our in-class discussion and host virtual conversations out of class. Do check our course site regularly for up-to-date reading assignments, multi-media material, and announcements. For further details of how the course will proceed, see sections below on “Assessment” and “Weekly overview”.
Assessment method
- Engaged understanding of course material (Including constructive analysis and evaluation of peers’ philosophical ideas): assessed through In-class participation, Including contribution to Essay Workshop in Week 7 (20% of the final grade: Weeks 1 – 7 (Ongoing)
- Clarity and precision in philosophical thinking and writing: assessed through short papers
(500-600 words per paper, totaling 2500 – 3000 words over 5 weeks, 40% of the final grade), Weeks 2 – 6 (Thursdays at 09:00) - Analysis, articulation, and appreciation of course themes : assessed through final essay
(2500 – 3000 words, 40% of the final grade), due week 8 (Thursday at 09:00)
Blackboard
This course is supported by a BlackBoard site
Reading list
There is no set textbook for the course. Assigned readings will be made available on blackboard and at the LUC e-library. While many of the primary texts are in the public domain, you may wish to purchase your own hard copies for future reference and reflection.
Registration
This course is only open for LUC The Hague students.
Contact information
Dr. Cissie Fu at [c.fu@luc.leidenuniv.nl].
Weekly Overview
Block schedule: Course topic: Formal assessment
Week 1: Being: Existence and Continuity: Class participation
Week 2: Mind: Rationalism and Consciousness: Class participation, Short paper
Week 3: Body: Physicalism and Substance: Class participation, Short paper
Week 4: Desire: Freedom and Choice: Class participation, Short paper
Week 5: Self-Deception: Agency and Bad Faith: Class participation, Short paper
Week 6: Selflessness: Altruism and Nihilism: Class participation, Short paper
Week 7: Non-Being: Death and Nothingness: Class participation
Week 8: [Reading Week – no classes] – Final essay
Preparation for first session
Please read Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre. Lloyd Alexander’s translation, with an introduction by Hayden Carruth, is accessible online at [http://users.telnet.be/sterf/texts/phil/Sartre-Nausea.pdf].