2025

Contemporary Thought

Name: Contemporary Thought
Code: FIL14859L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area: Philosophy

Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Sustainable Development Goals

Learning Goals

At the end of the curricular unit – in coordination with the contents and methodology of the unit
Modern Thought -, the students should be able to:
- To identify the main characteristics of contemporary epoch;
- To identify the originality of the thought, the living experience and the representation that
contemporary man
has from himself;
- To master the main concepts of contemporary thought;
- To use some of these notions in the hermeneutics of contemporary culture;
- To be able to debate contemporary problem fields with he help of concepts and methodology
previously
discussed during class;
- To have read and discussed at least to fundamental texts of contemporary thought.
- Students should also become able to participate as active players in the public debate concerning the
relevance
of the philosophical tradition for the ongoing cultural processes of our time

Contents

I. The conquest of the absolute to the death of God
Radicalization of the critical philosophy or the return of the repressed (from Fichte to Hegel)
After philosophy, the reality:from Schopenhauer to Marx
Nihilism and existentialism (Kierkegaard-Nietzsche)
II. Science as model, Life as goal
The multiplication of new sciences
Splendour/collapse of logical atomism
Time as interpret of life:Dilthey
III. Back to Descartes
A new Descartes:Husserl’s phenomenology
The fall into existence Heidegger
M.-Ponty the sensible
The stubbornness of liberty Sartre
Symbolical anthropogenesis of man:Cassirer
IV. Philosophy after Auchwitz
Politics as challenge:H.Arendt
The Frankfurt school
Habermas and the communicational praxis
Foucault and the archeology of knowledge/power
Derrida and the infinite disassembly of illusions
V. Philosophy between anthropology and culture
Culture as the constitution of an human habitat:the Spheres of Sloterdijk
The human animal returning to the caves of Culture (Blumenberg)

Teaching Methods

The alternation between theoretical expositions and texts analysis aim to systematically introduce the
students to the specifics problematics and concept of comtemporary philosophy

Assessment

TP Classes (assessed through two (2) tests – 80% of final grade); theoretical exposition and debate on
texts (20%)
The examination regime includes a final proof.

Teaching Staff

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