Frans de Haas

Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

“Our Philosophy programmes are unique because they give access to a wide range of philosophical styles (analytical, continental, comparative) that are presented on an equal footing. Moreover, the Leiden academic staff consistently combines knowledge of the relevant history of their philosophical discipline with their more systematical interests, which deepens both teaching and research, and opens up questions of more general cultural interest concerning the relationship between philosophies and their contexts.”

Philosophical debates

"In my classes I train critical thinking by highlighting philosophical debates in original philosophical texts, in contemporary secondary literature, including my own contributions to the field, and of course in discussions during seminars in which students have to present their view on a particular topic or text and defend it against criticism from their peers."

Reception of ancient theories

"My research is focused on the reception, in Late Antiquity, of the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics. I regularly teach an MA seminar on the reception of ancient theories of learning and education, following their ideas through the Middle Ages down to 21st century debates on Bildung and human flourishing."