BA Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives

This Philosophy bachelor's programme offers perspectives from around the world. It will make you one of the next-generation of students who will shape philosophy in the 21st century, ready to take on academic or professional challenges that call for critical thinking, analysis and argumentation skills.

Programme outline

Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives is a three-year, English-taught bachelor’s programme. Mandatory subjects in the first year include World Philosophy courses on Greek and Roman Antiquity, Modern Europe, China, the Middle East and India. In each semester of that year there is also a Comparative Philosophy course: on Classical Readings in the first and Methodology in the second. Students can tailor the programme from the end of the second year and are expected to research and write a thesis to conclude the third and final year.

Year 1

World Philosophies: Modern Europe

An introduction to the history of philosophy in 17th and 18th century Europe, a period commonly known as ‘modern philosophy’. The ideas of the most important philosophers of the era will be addressed: Bacon, Hobbes and Descartes, as well as later figures as Spinoza, Hume, and Kant. The course discusses a number of issues, including the nature and foundations of morality and knowledge, freedom and determinism, and the concepts of subjectivity and objectivity.

Logic

With a focus on the syntax and semantics of two formal languages, this course is an introduction to the study of logic, especially those elements that are important for philosophers. Afterwards you will, among other things, be able to explain key concepts in logic in intuitive and informal ways.

World Philosophies: Africa

This course explores the major philosophical traditions emerging from Africa. What concepts or ideas are significantly meaningful within the context of African philosophy? Are these questions unique or would there be unifying features with other intellectual traditions? The course explores themes such as development (history) of African philosophy, Justice and Morality in African Thought, epistemologies of development, belief systems, justification of moral norms and questions of identity.

Year 2

Political Philosophy

By reading a range of modern classics, students will become familiar with key concepts and debates, discussing questions such as: What are politics anyway? And how do you act politically? You’ll obtain an understanding of some fundamental concepts in political philosophy and the critical problems that they raise, both in theory and in practice.

Comparative Philosophy II: Topics

In this course, you'll study in detail the different modes of knowing and epistemologies in the Arabic and Persian philosophical traditions and to acquire familiarity with the historical and philosophical contexts that gave rise to debates on epistemology in the Middle East. You'll attend to wide-ranging topics on epistemology, such as the rational, theological, empirical, scriptural, mystical, occultist, and imitative.

Concepts of Selfhood

Discussing topics such as personal identity, the metaphysics of persons, self-knowledge and the structure of awareness, this course introduces students to the philosophical study of the self. After completing it you’ll be able to present this knowledge in writing and formulate critical responses to these philosophical ideas and positions.

Year 3

Conceptions of Knowledge in India and China

This course engages students in the major debates about what was considered knowledge in the classical Indian and Chinese traditions. It will acquaint them with the most prevalent philosophical conceptions of knowledge found in the ancient and medieval philosophical schools of these two countries.

Islamic Thought: Past and Present

This advanced seminar examines and analysed medieval and modern Muslim thinking about and engagement with a range of cultural, philosophical, intellectual, religious, and political topics and themes, including gender, violence, racism, authority, human rights, reason and scripture, and social media.

Metaethics

Whereas ethicists ask questions such as ‘how should one live?’ and ‘what should I do?’, metaethics ask questions like ‘what do moral judgments mean?’, ‘are there moral truths?’ and ‘how do we gain moral knowledge?’. In this course, we study a number of core texts in metaethics and we discuss and assess the most important metaethical theories that are currently discussed in the literature, such as emotivism, expressivism, naturalist and non-naturalist realism, and the error theory.

This unique programme in Philosophy offers you comparative perspectives from around the globe, enabling you to become part of the next generation of thinkers: those who are studying and shaping the philosophy for a globalized 21st century.

The programme gradually prepares you for independent study and research. The first year focuses on study skills like reading, argument analysis, and writing short essays.

The second year focuses on presentation skills, argument design, and advanced writing. In the third year you will be combining these skills in specialist seminars, with the bachelor's thesis as your final proof of competence.

Is this the programme for you?

• Do you enjoy discussing current issues in science and society?
• Do you want to know more about the history of the concepts we use to frame those issues? And do you want to know about the alternative concepts used in other cultures?
• Are you stimulated by high levels of abstraction?
• Do you sometimes feel that current debates fail to address the proper questions?
• Are you willing to challenge assumptions?

Then the Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives programme is for you!

What is your preferred career path? Is it advice and coordination that attract you most? Would you like to work in a job that involves coaching? Or does working in a non-profit appeal to you? You will find that your degree in Philopsohy: Global and Comparative Perspectives is a perfect preparation for the career of your choice.

These skills will help you

As a graduate of this BA programme, you will not only possess knowledge and understanding of the many aspects of philosophy, but you will also have acquired academic and intercultural skills that will greatly enhance your prospects on the job market. These skills involve critical thinking, the ability to work independently as well as in teams, and skills in communication and problem-solving. If you have also gained relevant work experience during your studies, this will help you find the job of your dreams even faster.

Our job market survey shows that 44% of our graduates find a job within two months, and 67% of those find a job at academic or higher professional education level immediately.

Where our alumni work

• Rotterdam City Council
• Ymere Amsterdam
• Kanselarij der Nederlandse Orden
• Ashram College
• Royal Air Force