Philosophy and Phenomenology of Freedom: Problems and Perspectives ER-FIL-ENG-SM>monog2
The course is devoted to a philosophical analysis of the concept of freedom and to the major positions in the debate on free will and human responsibility. It offers a systematic historical and conceptual overview of the problem of freedom, tracing its development from ancient philosophy through medieval and modern thought to contemporary phenomenological and existential approaches.
The aim of the course is to familiarize students with classical and modern conceptions of freedom and to develop the ability to distinguish its fundamental meanings, such as freedom of choice, moral freedom, ontological freedom, autonomy of the subject, and responsibility. The course provides conceptual tools necessary for a rigorous philosophical reflection on human action, agency, and subjectivity.
Course outline:
1. What is freedom? Conceptual and terminological clarification
2. Is the human being free? The debate on the existence of free will
3. Freedom in the thought of Socrates and Plato
4. Freedom in Aristotle and the Hellenistic schools
5. St Augustine’s doctrine of freedom and its development in St Thomas Aquinas
6. Conceptions of freedom at the threshold of modernity (Pico della Mirandola, Erasmus of Rotterdam, Martin Luther)
7. Freedom in Descartes. The problem of determinism (Spinoza, Leibniz)
8. Classical liberalism: T. Hobbes, J. Locke
9. Hume’s moral theory. Freedom and responsibility in Kant
10. The eclipse of individual freedom: Fichte, Hegel, Marx, positivism
11. The recovery of individual freedom: S. Kierkegaard, G. Marcel, J.-P. Sartre, A. Camus
12. Phenomenology of freedom: M. Scheler, M. Heidegger, M. Merleau-Ponty
13. Freedom in Józef Tischner’s philosophy of drama
14. Conclusion: freedom and responsibility
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, the student:
1. demonstrates advanced knowledge of the major philosophical conceptions of freedom and of the principal positions in the debate on free will, determinism, and moral responsibility;
2. critically analyses and compares different understandings of freedom, including freedom of choice, moral freedom, ontological freedom, autonomy, and responsibility, identifying their philosophical presuppositions and implications;
3. is able to reconstruct, interpret, and evaluate complex philosophical arguments concerning human freedom, agency, and subjectivity;
4. independently conducts philosophical research on a selected problem related to freedom, using appropriate scholarly literature and academic standards of citation and documentation;
5. presents and defends a philosophical position in oral discussion, responding to critical questions and objections in a clear and well-argued manner;
6. demonstrates the ability to formulate a coherent and academically grounded written analysis of a philosophical problem related to freedom and responsibility.
Assessment criteria
Students are expected to attend lectures regularly, as they provide the conceptual framework and philosophical background necessary for the course.
Assessment consists of three components:
1. a research paper on a topic agreed upon with the instructor and related to the themes of the course;
2. an oral presentation and defence of the paper;
3. a final oral examination covering the content of the lectures.
Evaluation takes into account:
1. knowledge and understanding of the major philosophical conceptions of freedom;
2. ability to analyse and compare philosophical positions concerning freedom, determinism, and responsibility;
3. quality of argumentation and use of relevant scholarly literature;
4. ability to formulate and defend a coherent philosophical position in written and oral form;
5. active engagement in discussion and the ability to respond to critical questions concerning the research paper.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: