During philosophy studies, we discuss both historical philosophical positions as well as various aspects of "theoretical" and "practical" philosophy.
Theoretical philosophy is comprised of disciplines such as logic, the philosophy of science, ontology, epistemology and the philosophy of language. Practical philosophy encompasses all philosophical discussions about human actions, i.e. espe-cially ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of history, legal and social philosophy. All of these topics are related to other disciplines (e.g. history, psychology, cognitive science or linguistics subjects, law and even the natural sciences). Because of this, the study of philosophy is by default interdisciplinary.
When studying philosophy, you will learn about its historical dimension and its development over time on the one hand while honing your own capacity for systematic and critical analysis of (philosophical) doctrines and viewpoints on the other.
Reading carefully selected texts - both traditional and modern - will help you achieve this goal.
As a philosophy student in Konstanz, you have access to first-class library collections and benefit from an open and wel-coming culture that promotes lively philosophical discussion with your peers and lecturers and that you are not likely to find at another German university. Beyond this, you will also profit from the great variety of international contacts maintained by our researchers and take part in exchange programmes with leading European and American universities.
At the University of Konstanz, you can choose to study philosophy in a regular bachelor's and/or master's programme or as part of a teacher education programme.
Objectives
When studying philosophy, you will also acquire important transferable skills that can help you in professional contexts.
This includes:
- the ability to follow complex presentations and to read informal and technical literature carefully,
- the ability to cope with complex information by focusing on what’s important,
- the ability to clearly and critically appraise and analyse all types of texts and presentations and to evaluate them using sound arguments,
- the ability to utilise libraries and the internet with purpose and efficiency,
- the ability to identify what’s relevant, to make useful connections and to access this knowledge when required,
- the ability to deliver well-thought out, well-structured and linguistically concise oral and written presentations in various formats,
- self-motivation,
- the ability to work independently,
- effective time management,
- independent critical, self-critical and creative thinking,
- the ability to react flexibly to new situations.