Philosophy of the Humanities

Explore the fundamental concepts and key thinkers in the philosophy of humanities through this comprehensive course. Delve into logic, scientific reasoning, and the works of influential philosophers like Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, and Michel Foucault. Examine the philosophy of history, including perspectives from Hegel, Marx, and Collingwood. Investigate hermeneutics, structuralism, and postmodern thought, featuring ideas from Nietzsche, Rorty, and Derrida. Gain a deep understanding of the intellectual foundations that shape our approach to knowledge, truth, and interpretation in the humanities.

Chapter 1.1: Introduction to logic.
Chapter 1.2: Induction and background theories.
Chapter 1.3: Where reasoning goes wrong.
Chapter 1.4: Karl Popper and the logic of falsification.
Chapter 2.1: Thomas Kuhn, normal science.
Chapter 2.2: Thomas Kuhn, scientific revolutions.
Chapter 2.3: Thomas Kuhn, incommensurability and progress.
Chapter 2.4: Michel Foucault, epistemes.
Chapter 2.5: Michel Foucault, power.
Chapter 3.1: Carl Hempel, laws in history.
Chapter 3.2: The Age of Reason and the Age of History.
Chapter 3.3: Hegel, the logic of History.
Chapter 3.4: Karl Marx, the end of history.
Chapter 3.5: Collingwood, the re-enactment of history.
Chapter 3.6: Hayden White, the story of history.
Chapter 4.1: The hermeneutic circle.
Chapter 4.2: Wilhelm Dilthey, the importance of hermeneutics.
Chapter 4.3: Structuralism, structure and identity.
Chapter 4.4: Structuralism, language and world.
Chapter 4.5: Vladimir Propp, the structure of fairy tales.
Chapter 5.1: Friedrich Nietzsche, the attack on foundations.
Chapter 5.2: Friedrich Nietzsche, the attack on truth.
Chapter 5.3: Richard Rorty, language as a tool.
Chapter 5.4: Jacques Derrida, no one ever gets to clarity.
Chapter 5.5: Universalism and identity.
BA Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives at Leiden University #2.