Admission requirements
Admission to this course is restricted to:
BA students in Philosophy
Pre-master’s students in Philosophy who are in possession of an admission statement, and for whom this course is part of their programme.
Description
This course introduces the philosophical study of the self, a central theme in philosophy since ancient times. From Socrates’s exhortation to “Know thyself” to Confucius’s ideal of “Learning for the self,” the question of selfhood has been foundational to philosophical inquiry across cultures.
Taking a cross-cultural approach, students will engage with major philosophical discussions on the nature, identity, knowledge, and cultivation of the self. Key questions include: What constitutes the self? What grounds personal identity over time? Is introspection a reliable method for self-knowledge and self-cultivation? What ethical or political consequences arise from different conceptions of the self? Can the self be understood as fundamentally social or relational?
Drawing on diverse philosophical traditions—including ancient Greek, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Western philosophies from modern to contemporary periods—this course invites students to critically examine how conceptions of the self shape our understanding of knowledge, virtue, morality, and the good life.
Course objectives
This course aims to introduce students to philosophical theorizing about the self in a cross-cultural context.
Students who successfully complete the course will have a good understanding of:
how the self has been theorized in different intellectual traditions;
how these philosophical articulations of the self are related to morality and modernity;
the traditional ways of self-cultivation in a cross-cultural context.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
present this knowledge in written form;
critically analyze ideas and notions presented in primary and secondary resources;
develop skills in academic writing and cross-cultural communication.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Lectures
Class attendance is required.
Assessment method
Assessment
Assignments;
Written exam.
Weighing
Short written assignments (30%)
A three-hour written exam with essay questions (70%).
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
A three-hour resit will be offered which will replace the grade of the final exam. All other grading components of the course will remain in place.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Course readings will be distributed via Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
Not applicable.