Frank Chouraqui

University Lecturer

“This course of study is especially designed for students with a humanities background who seek to develop the philosophical implications of the themes of their studies. The disciplines of the humanities are distinguished by their focus on what makes a human life truly human. Thinking philosophically about the humanities therefore involves thinking philosophically about what it means to live in a human world. The programme follows a rigorous series of seminars distributed along three axes:  the first is a continuation of your studies in the chosen field of humanities. The second involves a philosophical examination of themes common to philosophy and the humanities. Such past courses have addressed the philosophy of fiction, the philosophy of history, the philosophy of play and the philosophy of embodiment. The third axis involves a focus on philosophical ways to think about the disciplines of the humanities themselves, including philosophical explorations of the ways the disciplines of the humanities create a world of meaning for the members of a culture, including studies of phenomenology, deconstruction, hermeneutics.  

In class, you will develop your own critical approach to your home discipline and use it as a starting point to critically engage with philosophical materials relevant to it. You will also examine such disciplines in terms of the way they not only describe their object but also create a certain way for us to live. The student experience is focused on developing independent and critical thinking, with great personal attention and group work. You will be introduced to the tradition of European philosophy and to the practice of philosophy as a quest and construction of meaning.”