Keio University Syllabus and Timetable

This research seminar deals with basic issues discussed in political and moral philosophy. In general, this branch of philosophy is interested in normative topics, not so much on what “is”, but rather on what “ought to be”. For example, since the times of Ancient Greece, political philosophy has been defined as the quest for the best regime. It addresses the question of what the ideal political regime ought to be. This seminar focuses on political and moral themes from philosophical perspectives.

Seminar B (1) is intended as an introduction to political philosophy and ethics, and students will read literature that will help them to acquire the basic ideas of these disciplines. Seminar B (2) is designed for students who wish to conduct individual research or a dissertation on a specific issue under discussion in contemporary political philosophy or ethics.

Philosophy of Democracy (9): Humanism

During the Fall Semester 2025, this seminar will focus on humanism in order to rethink modernity from a philosophical and moral perspective.

What is humanism? It is not as easy as one might think to answer this question accurately without an understanding of the history of philosophy and thought. Humanism has been criticized by anti-humanism and post-humanism not only in philosophy and ethics, but also in other fields such as technology, politics, and the environment. However, criticism that fails to capture the core principles of humanism ultimately devolves into straw man argument. So, once again, what is humanism? This seminar will explore the answer by reading Tzvetan Todorov's Imperfect Garden: The Legacy of Humanism (originally published in 1998).

Todorov highlights the three principles of humanism――universality, finality, and autonomy――by contrasting them with conservatism, scientism, and individualism. These principles entail " the recognition of equal dignity for all members of the species; the elevation of the particular human being other than me as the ultimate goal of my action; finally, the preference for the act freely chosen over one performed under constraint." However, Todorov adds that “humanists do not "believe in man", nor do they sing his praises.” Rather, humanism acknowledges that "men are not necessarily good, and that they are even capable of the worst." Although his study is limited to modern French thinkers, Todorov clearly identifies the central ideas of humanism.

This semester, we will examine modern humanism by reading and discussing Todorov's book.

This research seminar deals with basic issues discussed in political and moral philosophy. In general, this branch of philosophy is interested in normative topics, not so much on what “is”, but rather on what “ought to be”. For example, since the times of Ancient Greece, political philosophy has been defined as the quest for the best regime. It addresses the question of what the ideal political regime ought to be. This seminar focuses on political and moral themes from philosophical perspectives.
Seminar B (1) is intended as an introduction to political philosophy and ethics, and students will read literature that will help them to acquire the basic ideas of these disciplines. Seminar B (2) is designed for students who wish to conduct individual research or a dissertation on a specific issue under discussion in contemporary political philosophy or ethics.

Philosophy of Democracy (10)

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ツヴェタン・トドロフ『未完の菜園――フランスにおける人間主義の思想』内藤雅文訳（法政大学出版局, 2002）
We will refer to the Japanese translation during the seminar. If you are permitted to enroll, please obtain the translation yourself.
For your reference, the original text is as follows: Tzvetan Todorov, Le Jardin imparfait: La pensée humaniste en France (B. Grasset, 1998). The English translation is Tzvetan Todorov, Imperfect Garden: The Legacy of Humanism, translated by (Princeton University Press, 2002).

This seminar may not end in the 4th period and may be extended. Please make sure to keep the 5th period on Friday free in your schedule.
When you are responsible for preparing a resume, you should prepare a summary and organize discussion points in advance, and give an oral presentation in class. You have to spend a certain amount of time outside of class for preparation.
Furthermore, at the end of the semester, you will have to write an essay and make an oral presentation at a research training camp.