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Philosophy (60 EC): History and Philosophy of the Sciences

Master

Structure of the programme

The MA Philosophy (60 EC): History and Philosophy of the Sciences consists of the following components:

Optional courses (in total 40 EC)

Students follow four optional courses (each 10 EC). Please be informed that students can only take the optional courses selected for the specialisation to which they have been admitted. Students with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Leiden University may also take optional courses selected for the specialisations Ethics and Politics, or Philosophical Anthropology and Philosophy of Culture, provided that at least two of the four electives of their programme belong to the specialisation History and Philosophy of the Sciences.

Not more than two of the four courses can have the same instructor. Course topics are varying from year to year.

Master’s thesis, thesis seminar, and final exam (20 EC)

The MA programme will be concluded by a master’s thesis of 20 EC. The master’s thesis is an independent academic contribution to philosophy in the field of History and Philosophy of the Sciences. Students follow the compulsory thesis seminar during the semester in which the thesis is being written. Before graduation students sit for a final exam for which they defend their thesis.

Planning

Students enrolled in the full-time programme choose three optional courses in their first semester. In their second semester they take a fourth optional course, follow the thesis seminar and write their master’s thesis.

Students enrolled in the part-time programme will normally spread the components over three semesters. In their first and second semester students are expected to follow four optional courses. In their third semester, students follow the thesis seminar and write their master’s thesis.

Further information

Additional information concerning objectives of the programme, master’s thesis and requirements for graduation is availabe at MA Philosophy 60 EC

Courses

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Optional courses History and Philosophy of the Sciences

Students select four optional courses, three in their first semester and one in their second semester.
Wittgenstein´s Tractatus 10
The Scientific Revolution 1550-1700 10
Psychology, Ethics, and Education from Antiquity to the Present 10
Kant's First Critique: Space, Time and Causation 10
Speech Acts 10
Alexander of Aphrodisias On Fate, or How Human Beings Escape Determinism 10

Optional courses outside the chosen specialisation

Under certain conditions students may select a part of their optional courses from two other specialisations
(see above: Structure of the programme).

Internship

Students may choose to replace one of the four electives (10 EC) by an internship.
Internship (MA Philosophy) 10

MA Thesis

Students follow the compulsory thesis seminar during the semester in which the thesis is being written.
Thesis Seminar Philosophy (Fall) 0
Thesis Seminar Philosophy (Spring) 0
MA Thesis Philosophy (60 ec) 20