Philosophy

Philosophy is one of the fundamental humanitarian disciplines through which we understand the world. It is critical and creative conceptual thinking that reveals diverse and surprising connections.  The use of philosophy in various fields of human activity is multifaceted: it consists in the critical analysis of ideas, theories and practices and their products in terms of certain human values and goals, e.g. the good life and a well-ordered society. Philosophy is relevant to almost every area of cultural or scientific life and therefore plays one of the key roles in shaping personality and the direction of society.  The Department of Philosophy, in which the study is carried out, offers accredited study in philosophy at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral levels.

The study of Philosophy is offered in three basic forms: as a professional (single-disciplinary) study, and as part of the study of teaching academic subjects (in combination with another subject, according to the offer of study programmes being opened in a given year). Both forms of study are carried out in independent study programmes, each of which is completed by a state final examination and the defence of a final thesis (awarding of the relevant university diploma). A third form of study is at the Doctoral level, where a study programme focusing on systematic philosophy is implemented.

 

Study content:

The study of Philosophy at the department aims to prepare an intellectually mature personality with a rich repertoire of conceptually and analytically oriented abilities and intellectual skills. The core of the study consists of courses in the history of philosophy (ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, modern philosophy, German classical philosophy, 19th-century philosophy, 20th-century philosophy, Slovak and Czech philosophy), ethics, social and political philosophy, logic, methodology of the sciences, epistemology and metaphysics. The study of philosophical movements, argumentative strategies of individual philosophers, textual analysis of representative works, thesis comparison, critical evaluation of arguments, and other components of the study of philosophy develop the “soft skills” of students. In addition, students’ creative and intellectual abilities are developed; their critical thinking is deepened, and their verbal and written expression is cultivated. In its teaching activities, the Department combines philosophical tradition with modern trends.  The study of narrower specialisations (analytical philosophy and philosophy of science, ethics and philosophical anthropology, social and political philosophy, feminist philosophy), as well as other areas of philosophy (philosophy of history, philosophy of mind, ecological issues, social and ethical problems of science, metaethics, logical semantics, methods of science and philosophy), is carried out at the Master’s level in the form of compulsory elective and elective courses. 

 

Basic Study Prerequisites and Requirements

From an applicant  to the study of philosophy at the Department, we mainly expect an interest in philosophical problems, the ability to think critically and independently, as well as knowledge of at least one foreign language (English, German, French). A profile subject at secondary school that is a good basis for the study of philosophy is social studies.

 

Graduates’ Employment

The Department trains professional philosophers, but the abilities, intellectual skills and knowledge acquired by graduates of the Department enable them not only to pursue a career in philosophical research and the teaching of philosophy at universities, but also open the way to careers in all areas in which language expression, working with texts, critical thinking and analytical skills play a key role. Workers in the media, in think tanks and consultancies, in NGOs, in HR, in senior management positions in administration, and in many other spheres in both the public and private sectors are undoubtedly much more successful when they have precisely these skills and abilities. They can offer these competences on the labour market and apply for positions such as sub-editors, editors, publishers, translators, commentators, activists, assistants, consultants and managers. Graduates of teaching academic subjects of Philosophy in combination will be qualified to teach the subject of Social Studies in secondary schools.

Prospective students can find more information about the department on the website: fphil.uniba.sk/katedry-a-odborne-pracoviska/katedra-filozofie-a-dejin-filozofie/

 

Entrance Examination Requirements

Applicants will be admitted to the Philosophy study programme on the basis of a general aptitude test as part of the National Comparative Exam provided by www.scio.cz, s. r. o. Applicants who have taken part in the national round of the Human Rights Olympiad and placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd will be admitted without having to take the general aptitude test.