History of Philosophy 3600-HFIO1
According to the philosophy of the ancient Greece and Rome we’ll compare concepts of old “physiologists” and Sophists (physis and arche contra techne). The next topic are theories of the founders of metaphysics: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle (ontology, psychology, ethics, politics). Then we concern theses of Hellenistic schools (Epicureanism, stoicism, skepticism).
Plotinus system will be taken into account and with relevance with it the negative and positive theology of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. Patristic thought will be represented by Origen and St. Augustine. The ontological argument of St. Anselm we’ll confront with the causal argument of St. Thomas Aquinas. Our concern will be also St. Thomas ontology in comparison with one of Aristotle. The last question attached to the Middle Ages: the problem of universals.
Regarding the XVII century we’ll examine the philosophy of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, regarding the British Enlightenment (Locke, Berkeley, Hume) we’ll be interested in getting more and more radical critique of knowledge.
As to Kant’s critique of pure reason understood as synthesis of last two trends the notions of transcendental philosophy, appearance and thing-in-itself, Copernican revolution and division of judgments will be analyzed. Following topic is Kant’s ethics. Next one: the foundations of Fichte’s Science of Knowledge and Hegel’s philosophy of history.
We’ll follow the evolution of the notion of will in Schopenhauer’s and Nietzsche’s philosophy.
Influential school of existentialism will be represented by Kierkegaard, Jaspers and Sartre, phenomenology by its founder Husserl and hermeneutics by Dilthey, Heidegger and Gadamer.
Last of all: the comparison of the early and late philosophy of Wittgenstein and the theses of Foucault’s archeology of knowledge.
Type of course
Learning outcomes
Student knows and understands basic philosophical trends and terms as well as the role of philosophical reflection in culture shaping processes.
Student has organized general knowledge (including terminology, theory and methodology) in the score of cultural studies.
An insight into the history of the Western philosophy effects deeper understanding of the history of Europe and understanding of the contemporary age. It makes also possible to compare this culture with other culture circles.
Student can indicate sources of cultural specificity of the Western culture.
The analysis of diametrically different philosophical constructions may be good exercise of creative and critical thinking.
Acquaintance with philosophical notions can be useful in translator’s work.
Student has awareness of the cultural distinctness and its religious, philosophical, traditional and historical roots and its significance for understanding modern world.
Assessment criteria
The test after each semester. The final mark will be the average. Students will obtain a list of possible questions with literature. In motivated cases it is possible to change test for oral examination. Attendance at the lecture will be also taken into account.
Bibliography
Selected chapters of the handbooks:
G. Reale, Historia filozofii starożytnej; A. Krokiewicz, Zarys filozofii greckiej; W. Tatarkiewicz, Historia filozofii; F. Copleston, Historia filozofii.
Selected studies of the series Myśli i Ludzie, publishing house Wiedza Powszechna.