Admission requirements
Admission to this course is restricted to:
BA students in Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives, who have successfully completed at least 70 ECTS credits of the mandatory components of the first and second year of their bachelor’s programme, including Philosophical Skills, Philosophy of Culture and Concepts of Selfhood.
BA students in Filosofie, who have successfully completed at least 70 ECTS credits of the mandatory components of the first and second year of their bachelor’s programme, including Filosofische vaardigheden, Cultuurfilosofie and Continentale filosofie.
Pre-master’s students in Philosophy who are in possession of an admission statement and who have to complete an advanced seminar.
Description
This course will explore two intertwined trajectories: the history of ‘the concept of time’ and the history of ‘the concept of truth.’ From the standpoint of continental philosophy, these histories undergo a profound transformation in the works of Immanuel Kant. Before Kant, philosophers subordinated time to movement, whether it was the movement of celestial bodies, as seen in Aristotle, or the movement of the soul, as explored by Plotinus and Augustine. However, with Kant, a significant shift occurs, and from that point onward, movement gradually becomes subordinate to time. A similar transformation occurs in the conceptualization of truth. Until Kant, the prevailing belief was that truth needed safeguarding from external threats to thought, such as deceptive appearances, as Plato suggested, or confusing errors, as Descartes proposed. In Kant’s philosophy, the emphasis changes: truth is now threatened by illusions that arise from within thought itself. Up to this point, most Western philosophers maintained that ‘harmony of the soul’ or ‘correspondence between the human being and the world’ was a necessary precondition for the emergence of truth. Following Kant’s dual reversal, these ancient ideals proved to be no longer feasible.
The aim of the course is to investigate the implications of this double reversal for our contemporary understanding of time and truth. Building on insights from Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, (contemporary) continental philosophers interpret these implications in terms of a crisis of truth, the effects of which are still underway.
This year’s iteration of the course will begin with an exploration of the classical theories that subordinate time to movement. We will illustrate these theories through Aristotle’s concept of time as ‘the number of movement’ (outlined in his Physics), Plotinus’s idea of time as an emanative interplay between procession and conversion (presented in the Enneads), and Augustine’s definition of time as ‘the distention of the soul’ (expressed in his Confessions). Additionally, we will examine the conception of truth that underpins these classical theories of time. Against this backdrop, we will investigate Kant’s reversals and the post-Kantian responses to the gradually emerging crisis of truth that follows. The main focus will be on the interplay of theories of time and theories of truth in the works of philosopers like Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Bergson, Foucault, Deleuze, and Glissant, and what this means for the forms of expression these philosophers use to convey their ideas.
Course objectives
This course is designed to offer students the opportunity to:
analyze a specific trajectory within continental philosophy where theories of time intertwine and provoke questions about theories of truth;
critically evaluate the diverse forms of expression employed by (contemporary) continental philosophers to address the crisis of truth;
identify the connection between the issues of time, truth, and expression within this trajectory.
Students who successfully complete the course will possess a comprehensive understanding of:
the diverse responses by continental philosophers to the effects of the novel conception of time that emerged following;
the interrelations between theories of time and theories of truth, as well as the implications these have for the articulation of philosophical ideas.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be equipped to:
critically evaluate and synthesize discussions concerning the concepts of time and their implications for the perception of truth;
reflect on recent contributions to the problem of time within the field of continental philosophy by composing a book review;
engage in the provision, reception, and processing of constructive feedback on written work;
formulate an original and pertinent research question addressing the philosophical implications of the disorienting effects of evolving conceptions of time, and develop this inquiry into a well-structured argument.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Graded assessments
Book review;
Final paper on a question agreed in advance based on the submitted proposal.
Non-graded practical exercises
Students are required to present their interpretation of one of the texts at least once and engage in a group discussion about it.
Each student must submit a proposal for the final essay and discuss it with the group.
Each student is expected to conduct a peer review of two other proposals.
In the final seminar, every student will present a draft version of their paper.
These four exercises will not be graded, but are required for getting admission to the exam (final paper).
Weighing
Book review (30%);
Final paper (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
Students can resit both the book review (30%) and the final paper (70%). Satisfactory completion of practical assignments (presentation, proposal) is a prerequisite for taking the resit. Students who have obtained a satisfactory grade for the first examination cannot take the resit.
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
Selections of the works of the author’s mentioned in the course description will be read (focusing on the interconnection of the problems of time and truth). Texts will be made available through the library or Brightspace. We will conduct the course in English, using English translations. The students are invited to read the original text if they speak that language (German, French, etc.). These original texts are often freely available on the Internet.
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.