Admission requirements
Mandatory course for first-year BA students in Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives.
This course is available as an elective for BA students Religiewetenschappen.
A limited number of places is available for BA students from other departments.
Description
This course aims to introduce students to African Philosophy. It explores the major philosophical traditions emerging from Africa, focusing primarily on essential questions with historical and contemporary relevance.
Which concepts or ideas are significantly meaningful within the context of African philosophy? Are these questions unique, or would there be unifying features with other intellectual traditions? How have these conversations shaped (and continue to shape) Africa?
We will explore themes such as the development (history) of African philosophy, Justice and Morality in African Thought, epistemologies of development, belief systems, justification of moral norms, and questions of identity.
Most critically, since philosophy is a living tradition, we will embark on a journey of self-discovery in dialogue with culture and society within the African intellectual domain. This means that the course invites us through class activities to critically analyze primary texts and critically reflect on cultural (or theological) assumptions/presuppositions of philosophical questions.
Course objectives
Although an introductory course in African Philosophy, upon completion of the course students are expected to demonstrate:
in-depth knowledge of key conversations and debates;
understanding of different philosophical traditions emerging from Africa;
understanding of the role of philosophical discourses in the shaping of modern African politics, identity, migration, culture, governance, development, and religion;
good knowledge of African philosophy not only in terms of history or origins but its relationship to other philosophical traditions in Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
- Lectures.
Class attendance is required.
Assessment method
Assessment
Midterm quiz (40%);
Final written examination (60%).
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average of the two subtests.
Resit
There is one resit for this course. It consists of a written examination over all the material covered. No separate resits will be offered for midterm or final tests. The mark for the resit replaces any partial result.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
A syllabus will be provided via Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
Not applicable.