Course
GP311 - Philosophy of History
Not avaliable for online application
General Information
| Course Type | On Campus |
| Course Category | P2. Systematic Philosophy |
| Description | Teaching Objective: This course aims to provide students with the basic tools for engaging with the central problems of Western philosophy of history, enabling them to understand the formation, development, and transformation of the “philosophy of history” within the Western intellectual tradition. The course focuses especially on major discussions since the modern period, particularly from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, concerning the meaning of history, the direction of history, historical laws, historical understanding, and historical narrative. The course takes into account both “speculative philosophy of history” and “critical philosophy of history.” It will also guide students to consider the relationship between the philosophy of history and the Christian view of history, encouraging them to reflect on how modern philosophy of history inherits, transforms, or challenges the traditional Christian understanding of the meaning and purpose of history. Teaching Content: The course first introduces the formation of the concept of the “philosophy of history.” While ancient Greece and Rome developed mature forms of historical writing and political reflection, Christianity gave history a linear meaning through the idea of salvation history, shaping Western views of time, historical meaning, and eschatological hope. It then examines modern developments: Vico’s distinctive account of historical knowledge, the Enlightenment view of history as the progress of reason and civilization, Voltaire’s critical history of civilization, Kant’s reflections on historical direction, Hegel’s philosophy of world history as the realization of freedom, Marx’s materialist account of historical change, and Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of modern historical consciousness. The second half focuses on historical knowledge and understanding. It discusses Dilthey’s distinction between explanation and understanding, Collingwood’s idea of reenactment, Gadamer’s hermeneutics of tradition and the fusion of horizons, as well as Hempel’s covering-law model and Danto’s account of narrative explanation. Finally, the course considers twentieth-century reflections on the philosophy of history, including Heidegger, Paul Ricoeur, Löwith, and others. Special attention is given to the relationship between modern ideas such as progress, liberation, and fulfillment and the Christian understanding of history. Teaching Mode: Lecture, Guided Reading and Discussion Assessment Mode: Oral Examination |
| College Organization Structure | Holy Spirit Institute of Philosophy |
| Course Tuition Fee | 1380.00 |
| Course Combination | There is no records at the moment. |
