Department of Philosophy

Welcome!

Philosophy is a special and extraordinary discipline within academics. On one hand, it reflects the various types of knowledge and perception, and on the other hand, it discusses their claims and limits. Against this backdrop, philosophy does not allow itself to be categorized in the usual academic categories, rather, it analyses them. As a fundamental discipline and one that provides insight into ethical questions, philosophy focuses on the possibilities of human self-realization and realization of the world in both theoretical and practical ways. It cultivates the logic of rational argumentation and is the only field that discusses the ethical foundations of behaviour. The Department of Philosophy in Trier does these tasks justice by giving in the various courses of study a comprehensive introduction to the history and system of the discipline, also with the aim of being able to recognize at an early stage the diverse deceptive veils of the spirit of the time.

Orientation in Philosophy and the Course of Study Offered

The subject of philosophy at Trier University is situated within the Faculty of Education, Philosophy, Psychology, Nursing Science and has three professorships. Within the German university landscape, philosophy at Trier features a unique history-of-philosophy accentuation, with focal points in antiquity, the modern age, and the present, while the area of philosophy of the Middle Ages is covered in a collaborative effort with the theology faculty. The degree programmes offered encompass the Bachelor of Education (philosophy and ethics, with an additional subject), the Bachelor of Arts (major and minor), the Master of Education (philosophy and ethics, Gymnasium and Realschule +), and the Master of Arts (major and minor), along with a course of study in an elective module for selected subjects. The differentiated epochal history and systematic orientation in research and teaching allow for individual emphases.

Research

Together with the Kant research centre, which as a recognized research establishment with international eminence makes a unique contribution to epochal history, philosophy at Trier includes a research institute for media and culture, whose research focus is the mutual media dependency between personal orientation and philosophical concepts. Philosophy at Trier offers numerous connections to related disciplines and maintains an intensive collaborative relationship with Slavic studies – including within the framework of a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) visiting professor – and Greek studies with a philosophical-philological colloquium.