Minor Philosophy

How to register (updated information)

You need to register for the minor Philosophy via Progress. The registration period runs from 23 May 2025 (00:00) to 4 July 2025 (23:59). The UG Minor Information Market will be held on 22 May from 15:00-17:00 in the Harmonie Building, Faculty of Arts.

Important: please note that after having registered for the Minor Philosophy, you will be enrolled in the individual courses by the educational administration. This will be done during the summer. Find general information on the registration procedure for the UG minors.

Course information

The English-taught Minor Philosophy (30 ECTS) or a smaller package of 15 ECTS to be taken in Semester 1a, offers an exciting and comprehensive introduction into the major philosophers and philosophical ideas, methods and theories from ancient times to the present.

The first course, Philosophical Thinking, offers an introduction to what philosophy is and how to practice it, with applications to different areas of philosophy.

In the History of Philosophy course, you will study some major philosophers from antiquity to the twentieth century, including Plato, Leibniz, and Kant. You will develop the skills to critically analyse and engage with various Western philosophical traditions, topics and debates.

The other two courses are devoted to important areas of contemporary philosophical thinking: Practical Philosophy and Philosophy of Science and Logic In these courses, you will learn about the methods of philosophical thinking and about how our understanding of science, knowledge, ethics, and politics has been developed by philosophers over the centuries. You will also learn how to use philosophical reasoning and conceptual reflection to develop your understanding of the fundamentals of science, as well as of ethical and political questions. You will discover how important philosophy is for making progress in debates about science and society.

Socrates famously said that “the unexamined life is not worth living”. If you are a critical thinker and if you would like to broaden and deepen your knowledge and thinking, this minor is an absolute must.

The Minor Philosophy runs the entire Semester 1a-b. The course Philosophical Thinking (1a) must be completed before taking the courses of semester 1b. Students interested in following the 15 ECTS package take the two courses offered in Semester 1a.

Eager for more?

If you have enjoyed this Minor, why not upgrade it to a bachelor's degree by adding another 30 ECTS? In the Bachelor Philosophy of a Specific Discipline, you combine your own bachelor with this one-year bachelor programme (30 ECTS Minor, 5 ECTS specialisation course, 15 ECTS discipline-related philosophy electives, and 10 ECTS bachelor's thesis). At the end of three or four years you will be awarded two bachelor's degrees.

Contact the bachelor's study advisor for information: fil-study-advisor rug.nl