Key Texts in Philosophy - Period 6

What is time? And what is the relevance of knowing our past and history? Philosophers from antiquity until the present day have reflected upon these questions. In this course, you will get an overview of the main developments in the history of philosophy and will read key texts in the history of philosophy, with a special focus upon the notion of time and the problem of understanding history. In the first week, we start with the perception of time in antiquity and early Christianity, and will read texts fragments of Plato and Aristotle (on (true) knowledge and belief, and on history), and a part of church father's Augustine's famous Confessions, in which he asks 'what is time'?, and claims that we can only perceive or experience what is contained in a momentary present. In the second week, the focus is upon the notion of history in the modern period (17th-19th century). In Kant?s text the prevailing notion of history in the age of Enlightenment is exemplified: he views history as aiming at a goal. At the end of the 19th century Friedrich Nietzsche radically questions this view on history. In the last week, we will concentrate upon the views of contemporary philosophers, in particular Hans-Georg Gadamer and Michel Foucault. Gadamer is the father of contemporary hermeneutics: he gives a novel account of notions such as prejudice and tradition, and criticizes the Enlightenment rejection of all prejudices. Finally poststructuralist thinker Foucault radically questions ideas about continuity of the past, and reinvents the notion of archeology and genealogy.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) awards credits based on the ECTS system. Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.