Philosophy

Degree: Master of Arts in Philosophy
Mode of Study: Full-time, part-time
Duration: 1 year (2 years in part-time study)
Start date: September, February
Language of instruction: English, although individual programmes may be composed of courses offered in Dutch
Specialisations:
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The MA programme in Philosophy is characterised by a firm integration of historical and systematic approaches in philosophy and an emphasis on studying primary philosophical texts. This gives students familiarity with both historical scholarship and current philosophical debates. Furthermore, the Leiden Institute for Philosophy offers courses both in continental and in analytical philosophy, enabling students to become acquainted with different philosophical approaches. The one-year MA programme offers three specialisations:

  • History of Philosophy
  • Theoretical Philosophy
  • Practical Philosophy

The information about this programme is available in the following languages:

The Leiden Institute for Philosophy represents a wide range of research interests, enabling students in the one-year MA Programme in Philosophy to take courses in the History of Philosophy, Logic, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Mind and Cognition, Ethics and Political Philosophy, Philosophical Anthropology, and Cultural Philosophy. The institute has strong international links with philosophy departments worldwide, resulting in an active programme of visiting scholars and lecturers. The institute’s research programme ‘meets the highest international standards’, according to the latest external research assessment of March 2006.

Prof. de Haas

“Provocative philosophical claims rely on sound historical knowledge and vice versa.”

“I hold the chair of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy. In the master’s in Philosophy, I teach Ancient Philosophy of Science. It is characteristic of the study of philosophy in Leiden that historical and systematic aspects of philosophy are correlated with one another. Provocative philosophical claims rely on sound historical knowledge and vice versa. You can see this in our programme: in many courses philosophical issues are interwoven with the history of philosophy.

Within the philosophy of science, a fundamental role was played by Aristotle. This Greek philosopher wrote a standard work on true knowledge and how to acquire it. He established which demands science had to meet, for example that there should be an argumentation structure which can be verified.

Aristotle’s work had considerable impact on philosophy and other sciences, such as mathematics and astronomy. In the Renaissance, there was a revival of interest in late antiquity and scientists began to study Aristotle’s texts and to comment on his work. Since the time when Western thinking about science started to develop, the Aristo¬telian model has been influential. Even today, it is difficult to keep up with the number of works on Aristotle that are being published. I find it enormously interesting to work with students on these topics.”