Thérèse

"I want to highly recommend this programme to curious thinkers and notorious intellectuals. It's a perfect fit for every open-minded, curious student, who wishes to keep the passion for philosophy alive while thriving academically. The wide range of courses on several phenomenological, dialectical, and critical-theory thinkers, the freedom of diving into your own project as well as to create bridges to related disciplines, is something quite luxurious in the academic world.“

Margarita

„Ich genieße die Freiheit und die Ermutigung, eigene akademische Interessen in dem vom Programm gebotenen Rahmen zu verfolgen. Egal wie „verrückt" das Thema ist, es wird gefördert und immer mit hilfreichen Vorschlägen und Inputs bedacht. Das Studienbüro und alle Dozierenden sind unglaublich hilfsbereit, verständnisvoll und nehmen sich Zeit für jeden einzelnen Studierenden. Das ist ehrlich gesagt ziemlich bemerkenswert!“

Paul (alumni)

• Why did you choose the Faculty of Humanities and your study program?

• I chose the Faculty of Humanities because it includes the program “Deutsche und französische Philosophie Master”. I opted for this program for its highly unique and promising curriculum which in the end was even better than I had expected. Where else can one find a philosophical program these days that is not all about analytical philosophy but still teaches and supports continental philosophy, d.i. broad philosophical thinking.

• What have you enjoyed most about the programme so far?

• So far, as mentioned, the curriculum in total, the quality of the teachers and their willingness to support my individual philosophical attempts and growth.

• What academic topics do you focus on in your studies?

• I focus on philosophy; especially German Idealism, Critical Theory and philosophy of labor. Furthermore on some aspects of anthropology and phenomenology, which I learned about at this very program and which I am happy to have been able to include into my thinking.

• Which aspects of your studies do you think have been most beneficial to your personal and/or career development?

• The program I study in helped me a lot to evolve my knowledge in philosophy beyond what I had imagined our could have gained on other universities, at least as far my knowledge and comparison with other programs goes. This program should be broadened and opened up for many more students.

  
  

  Personally, I am happy to have had the chance learning about a different flow, vibe and habitus in academia compared to the german system which is, well, pretty good but quite, putting bluntly, “rigid”. . .

• What are your plans after graduation?

• PhD in the program “PhD Deutsche und französische Philosophie” at the very same faculty.

Lutz (alumni)

• Why did you choose the Faculty of Humanities and your study program?

• I came upon the FHS and the “German and French Philosophy” program completely by chance. Since I had been at a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend who was living in Prague, I was, without much hope, looking for some suitable master’s degree that did not require knowledge of the Czech language. When I encountered the program, I was immediately super excited because, both thematically and by the way it was organized, it matched my interests and preferences perfectly.

• What have you enjoyed most about the programme so far?

• Contrary to the program’s name, studies are not limited to French and German philosophy only. While the focus lies on the ‘continental’ tradition of philosophy, in many of the courses, intercultural perspectives are included. The program has thus significantly broadened my philosophical horizon and deepened my knowledge in ‘continental’ philosophy.

  
  

  Another important point is class size: I came to the FHS from a big university in Germany where classes were usually held with 30+ people. While sometimes this was great, the majority of times such big class sizes made discussions slow. For people who are not so comfortable with actively approaching teachers, it made establishing personal contact with them somewhat harder and the general feeling of studying was more anonymous for me.

  
  

  So, the small groups and the intensive support and contact with the teaching staff here in Prague have been great for me. The teachers are very open minded and supportive and treat you as fellow philosophers.

  
  

  Another big plus is the international orientation of the institute of German and French Philosophy and the FHS in general. The institute participates in the Erasmus Mundus programme, attracting students from all over the world. During my studies, I have gotten to know students from nearly every continent of the earth.

  
  

  Furthermore, every year we have had a number of guest-lectures from international researchers as well as international guest-lecturers who hold courses.

• What academic topics do you focus on in your studies?

• In my studies, I focus on research between phenomenology, hermeneutics/narratology and intercultural philosophy. From these theoretical vantage points I am researching on topics such as selfhood and personhood, the relation of the Real and the imaginative, the lived body and its relation to both the world and the (absolute) Other.

• Which aspects of your studies do you think have been most beneficial to your personal and/or career development?

• Most certainly the intensive attention paid to each individual by the teaching staff, as well as the international orientation of the programme itself. You can not only study in a multicultural atmosphere but are also confronted with intercultural philosophy and ways of thinking.

• What are your plans after graduation?

• I have graduated my master’s programme last year and am now pursuing my dissertation at the same institute.