Philosophy and Classics 

From January 2021, the Department of Philosophy expanded its teaching and learning offering by including the Classical Languages and Classical Studies component of the previously known Department of Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies. This new department is known as Philosophy and Classics.

Students enrolling for philosophy and classical studies are strongly encouraged to take both Philosophy (FILO1514 / FILO1624) and Classical Studies (CSCC1514 / CSCC1624), as well as the new Classical Language module (CLLG1514 / CLLG1624), as they strongly complement each other. These modules bring an integral background to the development of philosophy, and philosophy will enrich their experience of the classics to a higher degree.


Aristotle
Ara Arent Achille Mbembe Aquinas Appiah Chima Manda Booker T Washington Marx Plato Socrates
Critical-Theory Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Locke Frantz Fanon foucault Derrida Machiavelli Nietzsche Stephen Bantu Biko Web du Bois Sigmund-freud

Philosophy is not just a subject, but a way of life. One of the founding phrases of philosophy is Socrates’ famous statement in the fifth century BC: ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ In our department we strive to cultivate a questioning, critical life practice in our students—a practice that is as necessary in everyday life as in the work environment. Our students get a thorough grounding in more than twenty-five centuries’ thought-tradition. All content is chosen for its relevance to the ideas and ideologies that shaped, and still shape, South Africa, Africa, and the larger world. This enables our students to be analytical, investigative, participative citizens who contribute to a culture of dialogue and democracy.

Approach

Ours is the only philosophy department at a South African university that focuses on modernity studies, that is, the relationship between tradition and modernity in South Africa as a country that continues to be shaped by both traditional and modern ideas and forces. Over and above a review of the various thinkers and their historical contexts, students are also trained in the following themes, amongst others: the African, Greek, Roman, and Christian foundations of the philosophical tradition; the rise of western modernity and how it affected South Africa; German idealism, critical theory, hermeneutics, and phenomenology; political and cultural diversity; the philosophy of technology; the relationship between philosophy and theology; African and South African intellectual history; and post-colonial philosophy.

Career choices

Students often ask what they can do with philosophy, when the question should perhaps be what philosophy could do for them. Since philosophy is a discipline that allows students to develop an integrated view of the various ideas and forces that shape the contemporary world, the study of philosophy will help students to be better in whatever career they choose. Former students of our department chose careers as varied as:

 Clergy

 Diplomats / Civil servants

 Entrepreneurs

 Journalists

 Law practitioners

 Philosophy lecturers

 Politicians

 Researchers

 Teachers

 Working in civil society

 Working in the non-governmental sector (NGOs)

 Writers

 

Academic offering: Philosophy (for prerequisites, please consult the latest Humanities Undergraduate Rule Book)

Undergraduate modules:

1st Academic YearFILO1514Tradition and Modernity IAt least 70% in student’s home language in Grade 12, or 75% in student’s first additional language
FILO1624Tradition and Modernity IFILO1514
2nd Academic YearFILO2616The Traditional World and the Early Modern World I: Europe and AfricaFILO1514; FILO1624
FILO2626The Traditional World and the Early Modern World II: Europe and AfricaFILO1514; FILO1624; FILO2616
3rd Academic YearFILO3718Modernity I: Europe, Africa and South AfricaFILO1514; FILO1624; FILO2616; FILO2626
FILO3728Modernity II: Europe, Africa and South AfricaFILO1514; FILO1624; FILO2616; FILO2626; FILO3718
3rd Academic YearFILT3718Philosophy of Technology IFILO1514; FILO1624; FILO2616; FILO2626
FILT3728Philosophy of Technology IIFILO1514; FILO1624; FILO2616; FILO2626; FILT3718

Postgraduate modules:

Post Graduate Students

Research Protocol for prospective students (for MA and PhD) 

 

We have incorporated the Classical Languages modules in our offering and are extremely proud of the new Classical Language module which we have developed inhouse. In 2022, we will expand this module to second year level, with 2023 seeing the implementation of this module at third year level.

Classical Studies (Mythology) celebrates renowned heroes and heroines who battled internal and external monsters, all the while appealing to the gods for their intervention. The presence of mythological aspects in art, film, music, theatre and science is a testament to its persistence as a culturally binding phenomenon. These aspects range from influencing the names of the days of the week—and even the names of our celestial neighbours—to the development of modern psychological theories, such as Sigmund Freud’s Oedipus complex. Much of today’s political and educational systems also owe their existence to the classical civilisations from which they arose.

Classical Studies (Civilisations) aim to understand multiple aspects regarding ancient civilisations. Moreover, it helps us to formalise a fundamental basis of the ancient citizen and their behavioural motivations. The motivation for the foundations of democracy and the dramatic arts are highlighted in both the study of civilisations and mythology respectively.

Classical Languages introduces the student to both Latin and Ancient Greek, as well as the culture, literature, and history of the Roman and Greek civilisations—aspects from which our legal system, governance, Christianity, western literature, philosophy, art and architecture, and much more eventually evolved. Students can expect to read a variety of Roman and Greek authors, and other prevalent authors from classical antiquity.

Career choices

These subjects are ideal for students who want to prepare themselves as:

 Archaeologists

 Anthropologists

 Clergy

 Diplomats / Civil servants

 Entrepreneurs

 Journalists

 Language practitioners

 Law practitioners

 Lecturers

 Linguists

 Literary critics

 Museum curators

 Philosophers

 Political commentators

 Teachers

 Tour guides

 Translators

 Writers / Poets


They are also useful for students who are interested in psychology, sociology, the dramatic arts, religious studies, history, communication sciences, political science, languages and literature, art, drama, and music.

Academic offering: Classical Studies (for prerequisites, please consult the latest Humanities Undergraduate Rule Book)

Undergraduate modules:

1st Academic YearCLLC1514
Legal Language and Culture IAt least 70% in student’s home language in Grade 12, or 75% in student’s first additional language
CLLC1624
Legal Language and Culture II
CLLC1514
 OR
1st Academic YearCSCC1514
Classical Civilizations I: Creation Myths & Archetypes
At least 70% in student’s home language in Grade 12, or 75% in student’s first additional language
CSCC1624
Classical Civilizations II: Religion and Magic
CSCC1514 or CLLC1514
2nd Academic YearCSCC2616
Classical Civilizations III: History
CSCC1514; CSCC1624 or CLLC1514; CLLC1624
CSCC2626
Classical Civilizations IV: Art and Architecture
CSCC1514; CSCC1624; or CLLC1514; CLLC1624; CSCC2616
3rd Academic Year
CSCC3718
Classical Civilizations V: Literature
CSCC1514; CSCC1624; or CLLC1514; CLLC1624; CSCC2616; CSCC2626
CSCC3728
Classical Civilizations VI: Drama and music
CSCC1514; CSCC1624; or CLLC1514; CLLC1624; CSCC2616; CSCC2626; CSCC3718

Postgraduate modules:

Post Graduate Students

Research Protocol for prospective students (for MA and PhD)

 

Academic offering: Classical Languages (for prerequisites, please consult the latest Humanities Undergraduate Rule Book)

Undergraduate modules:

1st Academic YearCLLG1514Classical Languages I: Introduction to Classical Languages and Resources
At least 70% in student’s home language in Grade 12, or 75% in student’s first additional language 
CLLG1624
Classical Languages II: Classical Languages and ResourcesCLLG1514 
1st Academic YearCLLG2616
Classical Languages III: Basic to Intermediate Latin and Classical Greek
CLLG1514; CLLG1624
CLLG2626
Classical Languages IV: Intermediate Latin and Classical Greek
CLLG1514; CLLG1624; CLLT2616
3rd Academic YearCLLG3718
Classical Languages V: Intermediate to Advanced Latin and Classical Greek
CLLG1514; CLLG1624; CLLG2616; CLLG2626
CLLG3728
Classical Languages VI: Advanced Latin and Classical Greek
CLLG1514; CLLG1624; CLLG2616; CLLG2626; CLLG3718

Postgraduate modules:

Post Graduate Students

Research Protocol for prospective students (for MA and PhD)

 

Contact Details

Address

Department of Philosophy and Classics
Faculty of the Humanities

University of the Free State
PO Box 339
Bloemfontein
9300
South Africa

Prof Johann Rossouw
T: 051 401 3347
E: rossouwjh@ufs.ac.za

Alternative contact:

Office Manager
Alice Stander
T:  051 401 2237
E: standerafm@ufs.ac.za


FACULTY CONTACT

T: +27 51 401 2240 or humanities@ufs.ac.za

Postgraduate:
Marizanne Cloete: +27 51 401 2592

Undergraduate:
Neliswa Emeni-Tientcheu: +27 51 401 2536
Phyllis Masilo: +27 51 401 9683

Humanities photo next to contact block

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