COURSE DETAIL
Metaphysics is one of the central areas of philosophy. Historically, it has been referred to as the study of ”being qua being” and as ”first philosophy'” but has also been rejected as mere speculation or nonsense. Today, one might say that metaphysics is the systematic reflection on certain fundamental structures of reality and our place in it. The seminar introduces students to contemporary (analytic) metaphysics, focusing on a selection of six topics: free will; possibilities and possible worlds; laws of nature; ontology or ”what there is”; properties, universals and realism; and the aims and possibility of metaphysics. The course reads and discusses classic texts from the 20th century as well as some very recent work. Each topic is addressed by two texts which take opposing stances, thus giving students an idea of the central debates. Many (but not all) texts are taken from Helen Beebee + Julian Dodd, ”READING METAPHYSICS: SELECTED TEXTS WITH INTERACTIVE COMMENTARY,” Blackwell 2007.
COURSE DETAIL
This course talks about the formation of the universe, and then discusses what is life and what is man. The course explores the origin of life, growth, continuity, evolution, progress and significance, and technological impact on humans and the environment, ideal society, human future and personal life and death, spiritual liberation and social responsibility.
Philosophy Abroad
Take your philosophy studies international to analyze arguments and ideas across cultures—linking logic, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and aesthetics to contemporary questions in society, science, and public life. International study immerses you in diverse intellectual traditions and texts, expanding how you interpret sources, compare schools of thought, and apply philosophical methods to real-world dilemmas. You’ll advance in moral and political philosophy, philosophy of mind and language, history of philosophy, and philosophy of religion while engaging with traditions from ancient Greece and India to European continental thought and East Asian philosophies. Build your portfolio through seminars, archival and textual research, public-facing writing, and debates—strengthening analytic clarity, argumentation, and cross-cultural reasoning as you test ideas in the places where they emerged and continue to evolve.