Introduction Why study at the Philosophy Department?

1. Read the quotes below. How do you understand these quotes? Give your reasons and examples to support your answers.

• “Education is knowing where to go to find out what you need to know; and its knowing how to use the information you get.” (William Feather, US Author)

• “To teach how to live with uncertainty, yet without being paralyzed by hesitation, is perhaps the chief thing that philosophy can do.” (Bertrand Russell)

2. Discuss these questions in pairs.

1. What do you know about the Philosophy Department?

2. What knowledge and skills do you expect to learn being a student of the Department?

3. How will you apply them in your future career?

3. Read the text and find the answers to the questions from exercise 2.

The Philosophy Department of Kazan University brings together some of the most important approaches to understanding the social and human world around us, developing skills useful for a whole range of future careers and activities.

Although philosophy did not come into being as a separate department until 2007, the teaching of philosophy and related subjects at Kazan University goes back to its early days. The Philosophy Department, comprising a number of formerly separate elements, offers exceptionally broad and deep programs in philosophy, political science, religious studies, conflict resolution and cultural studies at the baccalaureate, master and doctoral levels. The Department of Philosophy provides an ideal setting for students and learners at all levels to engage with novel ideas, thorough scholarship and creative research in all of the discipline’s subfields, as well as in an array of interdisciplinary areas of inquiry. As a community of established and emerging scholars - teachers and students - the department is uniquely positioned to address the most enduring questions of social life, locally and internationally. More than ever, the mission of the department is to encourage students to think broadly and critically, about the core features of democratic and global citizenship; develop analytical rigour and the ability to criticise and reason logically, and be able to apply these skills to questions concerning how we acquire knowledge or how we make ethical judgments.

The Department of Philosophy aims at developing educated students who are responsible for recognising and respecting diverse worldviews, capable of evaluating systems of thought, oppression and power in communities, and motivated to engage in personal and social action. The Department’s faculty is a collection of outstanding scholars and dedicated teachers engaged in active research in a variety of areas. Students have the opportunity to work closely with these professors. The faculty pledges to collectively do their best in the areas of teaching, research, and service so as to ensure that students will derive maximum benefits from their matriculation.

Young and dynamic faculty have a broad range of research and publishing interests. They make original contributions to knowledge by producing books, articles and conference papers in their specialist subjects. The Department is small and intimate, which means students have a lot of direct interaction with professors and receive much guidance and encouragement. It offers many courses, including small seminars, lectures, workshops, supervisions, and the like. Department’s concentrators work closely with faculty members to write their junior papers and senior theses. The students should also take their additional practicals in different governmental and public offices. The faculty encourages students to be inquisitive, creative and imaginative while preparing students to be adaptable and flexible in occupational and professional pursuits. Above all, students are prepared to be cognizant of and responsible to the human condition.

The department takes a multidisciplinary approach to teaching in its major fields, integrating them with material drawn from law, economics, sociology, history, and other disciplines. The result is a degree of extraordinary academic breadth and richness. Multicultural and multidisciplinary, it is truly a liberal arts education for the 21st century. The graduates of this department are able to analyse and discuss the main philosophical, ethical, political and social questions of contemporary society. They also possess the ability to carry out research on and produce valid scientific texts in both Russian and at least one other European language. Graduates from the Philosophy Department enter the job market with a set of adaptable, marketable skills. They are proficient writers, excellent critical thinkers, and outstanding researchers. Through their studies, they develop an ability to synthesise multiple perspectives and insights into a single, balanced point of view. Thus, they become leaders in all avenues of life; their voices are heard in government, NGOs, business, the arts, law, universities, public policy, and the media.  In short, the Department of Philosophy at Kazan University is an incredibly diverse, accomplished, and vibrant place. You are most welcome to explore it for yourself.