This programme aims at providing a structured course of study in politics and
philosophy with a special emphasis on political philosophy. This is an option
in the B.Soc.Sc and B.A. degree curricula which has been on offer since September
1993. The programme is jointly offered by the Department of Politics and Public
Administration and Department of Philosophy. The teaching of the programme will
also be undertaken by lecturers from the two departments. If you want to know
more about this programme, you may contact either of the following, who will
be happy to answer your questions:
Dr. Daniel Bell
Department of Philosophy
Room 311, Main Building
Tel.: 2859 2796
e-mail: dabell@hkucc.hku.hk
Dr. Joseph Chan
Department of Politics and Public Administration
Room 629, Meng Wah Complex
Tel.: 2857 8361
e-mail: jcwchan@hkucc.hku.hk
This programme provides a unique opportunity for academic dialogue and cross-fertilization between the two disciplines. Politics and Philosophy may be distinct disciplines, but they have some areas in common. Political science aims to offer empirical descriptions and explanations of politics. But it is not entirely descriptive. Politics is concerned with the problems of living together, and it necessarily raises moral issues. Philosophers have long raised fundamental questions about justice, democracy, the relation between law and morality, and so on. Philosophy thus serves students of politics by equipping them with conceptual resources and theories of ethics. Political science in turn serves students of philosophy by providing them with concrete understanding of the empirical and political context of morality.
This programme is intellectually challenging and rewarding. This programme covers some of the most fundamental and challenging issues and theories in the humanities and social sciences, including : the nature of knowledge, theories of morality, human rights, social justice, law and morality. More important, the primary aim is not only to impart information to you, but also to help you learn how to think and argue effectively about philosophical, moral and political issues.
This joint study of politics and philosophy has at special relevance at a time of rapid political change in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is in a state of flux. The 1997 issue has had enormous impact on our political system, economy, and way of life. The challenges confronting us are tremendous, and the responsibilities bestowed on our leaders formidable.
As future leaders of the society, university students should be given the opportunity to equip themselves to face up to the tasks that lie ahead. It is hoped that this programme will help students develop intellectual capacities that are essential to fulfill these tasks : critical and analytical capabilities as well as the knowledge and technique to understand and evaluate social and political issues in the contemporary world and especially in Hong Kong.
This programme follows the best tradition of Liberal Arts education. It aims to attract students who share the belief that the university is primarily a place of learning. The programme aims at developing a number of capacities, including :
This programme is open to all Arts and Social Sciences students who have completed the following first-year courses :
The programme comprises eight mandatory courses as follows:
(i) Politics and Public Administration: 4 courses from
POLI0029 Political theory
POLI0010 Democracy and its critics
POLI0005 Capitalism and social justice
POLI0051 Issues in Chinese Political Philosophy
(ii) Philosophy: 4 courses. At least one of:
PHIL2001 The beginnings of philosophy
PHIL2002 Early modern philosophy
one of:
PHIL2350 Philosophy of law
PHIL2080 Marxist philosophy
PHIL2360 The philosophy of politics
one of:
PHIL2340 Moral problems
PHIL2310 Theories of morality
PHIL2430 Chinese philosophy: ethics
and another course in philosophy not listed above.
You may choose the remaining eight courses in any department, subject to Faculty
regulations. In the interest of providing a coherent programme, however, you
are strongly advised to select at least four electives from the following courses
:
Department of Politics and Public Administration Politics :
POLI0021 Understanding global issues
POLI0020 Hong Kong politics
POLI0022 Governing China
POLI0006 China and Hong Kong : the politics of transition
Department of Philosophy :
PHIL2390 Philosophy of religion
PHIL2140 Philosophy of Social Science
PHIL2210 Metaphysics
PHIL2230 Philosophy and cognitive science
(Note that these Philosophy courses are not offered every year.)
Enrolment in this programme simply involves your signing up for the eight compulsory courses listed above. You should :
Upon satisfactory completion of all requirements of the programme, students registered in the Social Sciences Faculty will be awarded a Bachelor of Social Sciences, and those in the Arts Faculty will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts. The title of the programme ``Major in Politics and Philosophy'' will be formally recorded in the transcripts.
This programme is jointly organised by the Department of Linguistics and the
Department of Philosophy. If you need any further information you may contact
either of the following members of staff who will be happy to answer your questions
:
Dr. Joe Lau
Department of Philosophy
Room 309, Main Building
Tel : 2859 2796
Email : jyflau@hkusua.hku.hk
Dr. K.K. Luke
Department of Linguistics
Room 127, Main Building
Tel : 2859 2773
Email : kkluke@hkusua.hku.hk
Philosophers have long been interested in languages for various reasons. First, our linguistic capacity is one of our most distinguishing features. It allows us to express and record complex ideas, and to communicate with each other. Understanding this capacity is one way to find out more about human nature and our psychology.
Second, many philosophers think that language has a deep connection with many philosophical problems. Some philosophers think that we should study languages because they reflect the structure of reality. Others think that our ordinary languages are actually not precise enough and that artificial languages should be constructed for philosophical and scientific purposes. Still others think that philosophical problems are not real problems, and that they arise because we misunderstand the nature of our own languages.
Finally, many philosophers are interested in language simply because it is in itself a fascinating topic. This is especially more so with the recent growth of linguistics. Linguistics is the scientific study of our language capacity. The development of linguistics is exciting because it offers new perspectives and methods in looking at many philosophical questions about language, questions such as : How are the rules of language different from other social norms? To what extent is our language capacity innate? Is it possible to build machines that understand languages as well as we do? These and similar issues involve not just empirical studies but also conceptual clarification. This is why philosophers and linguists collaborate and debate with each other actively on such matters, and this makes the field even more interesting.
Studying philosophy improves critical thinking and analysis, since you will have to think systematically about both sides of an issue, and evaluate arguments and reasoning carefully. In studying linguistics, students will learn more about the role of language in our psychology and society, and acquire concepts that help them gain a deeper understanding of the grammar, history and sound system of natural languages. By majoring in these two areas, students not just gain the benefits of studying both disciplines. It also helps develop the ability to integrate theories and information from two different subjects. The intellectual and linguistic skills you acquire as a result will be very important for a wide variety of occupations, both in the private commercial sector and in the public sector.
This programme is open to all Arts students who have passed the following first-year courses :
In order to major in Linguistics and Philosophy, a student must study in the
second and third year no less than eight courses in the two departments, including
:
Linguistics:
LING2003 Semantics : meaning and grammar
LING2006 Syntax I : describing grammatical patterns
LING2016 Syntax II : the theory of grammar
Philosophy:
PHIL2610 Philosophy of language
and any two of:
PHIL2220 The mind
PHIL1005 Critical thinking and logic
PHIL2510 Logic
PHIL2520 Philosophy of logic
PHIL2511 Paradoxes
PHIL2230 Philosophy and cognitive science
PHIL2460 Philosophical chinese
PHIL2060 Wittgenstein
and an obligatory third year course
PHIL3610 Seminar on Topics in Linguistics and Philosophy
In addition, a student should choose either an extra philosophy course from the above list, or any course from the Linguistics Department, provided that the relevant prerequisites are satisfied.
The remaining eight courses in a student's second/third year programme may be selected from those offered by any department, as permitted by the regulations.
It should be noted that not all philosophy courses are offered every year. Choices are subject to approval by the head of the department.
On your second year enrolment form, enter your major under A : ``20 Linguistics and Philosophy'', and fill in your course selections according to the requirements given above.