Contemporary Philosophy

This course examines some important contemporary philosophical debates and philosophers. At the centre of the debates are classic philosophical questions about human life, good and evil, justice, and the possibility of knowledge, as they confront us today. The topics will vary from semester to semester. Examples of possible themes: war and justice, democracy and religion, man in a local or global perspective, knowledge, gender.

According to the course curriculum, a candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcome (defined as knowledge and skills)

Knowledge

• knowledge about how classical philosophical theories and concepts pertain to contemporary philosophical problems
• knowledge about some contemporary philosophical debates

Skills

• the ability to argue for and against various positions within contemporary philosophical debates
• the ability to apply general philosophical theories to concrete problems
• the ability to argue systematically, including one's own views to critical reflection

Lectures, groups, seminars and self-study. In order to sit the exam, students must attend the seminar for specialization in applied ethics and submit and get approved one written assignment (1600-3200 words, 12-point Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing). The written assignment is only given in the semester when the subject is taught, but is valid for this and the subsequent semester.