Philosophical and Historical Aspects of the Humanities

Course

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/W_AAMPHUP013

Course Objective

This course offers both philosophical and historical insights into the humanities. Upon successful completion students will have studied and critically reflected on key-texts from the history of linguistics, literary studies, Critical Studies of Arts and Culture, and historiography, and will have gained insight into philosophical questions regarding the humanities generically.

Course Content

Themes, topics, and theories that will be dealt with in the course: 1) the nature of the humanities, 2) the aims of the humanities, epistemic and otherwise, 3) what progress in the humanities amounts to, 4) whether replication studies in the humanities are possible and desirable, 5) the relation between the humanities and the sciences, 6) the relation between study and criticism in the humanities, 7) the societal relevance of the humanities, 8) structuralism, 9) relativism.

Teaching Methods

The class meets twice per week for 2 hours. Each week a different humanities discipline is center stage: linguistics, history, literary studies, critical art studies, etc. The class is taught by prof. Van Woudenberg who is the course leader, in collaboration with Dr. Hennie van Vliet, Prof. Antske Fokkens, Dr. Kristien Steenbergh, Dr. Sven Lutticken, and Dr. Petra van Dam.

Method of Assessment

2 papers

Literature

1) Richard Foley, The Geography of Insight. The Sciences and the Humanities, How they differ and Why They Matter. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. 2) Stephen Grimm, Rik Peels & Rene van Woudenberg, Philosophy of the Humanities. (manuscript) 3) Text from De Saussure, Panovski, von Ranke and others.

Target Audience

Research Master students in the Humanities.

Recommended background knowledge

Rens Bod, A New History of the Humanities. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015

Explanation Canvas

more information will be made available via Canvas.
Academic year1/09/2431/08/25
Course level6.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Master