Anthropology
Module: Humanities
Matter: The individual and society
Main language of instruction: Spanish
Head instructor
Dr. Josep CORCÓ - jcorco@uic.es
Office hours
By appointment. Please contact your professors to arrange an appointment (jcorco@uic.es, ragulles@uic.es).
The Anthropology course helps foster a complete and coherent idea of the human person. In this way, it is possible to acquire an insight into the many facets of human beings: physical, mental, social and spiritual, as well as their successful integration with each other. Students are also offered essential learning which a university can provide, enabling them to cope with the main challenges and problems they may encounter in their future professional lives, which will be human in nature.
The main goal of this course is to encourage reflection on the part of the students in order for them to:
1. To acquire an intellectual working method, which students will be able to apply to different areas of their future activity.
2. To learn an approach to study, work and life in general which is positive and enthusiastic.
3. To consider the human person and his/her social nature and sociability.
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
I- THE PERSON
Topic 1. The person
Topic 2. Nature
Topic 3. Human time
II- SOCIABILITY
Topic 4. Sociability
Topic 5. Friendship
Topic 6. Benefits
III- VIRTUE
Topic 7. Virtue
Topic 8. Work
Topic 9. Myth
IV- FREEDOM
Topic 10. Freedom
Topic 11. Knowledge
Topic 12. Tolerance
V- CIVILISATION
Topic 13. Civilisation
Topic 14. Human constitution and social order
Topic 15. Progress
Classroom-based lectures are of two types:
1. Theory classes: lectures given by the professor, the aim of which is to convey knowledge to the students and to stimulate the process of reflection. Each week will be devoted to a topic from the syllabus.
2. Practical classes: in the classroom setting, students are required to analyse and comment on classical texts. Sessions on 22 October and 3 December, respectively, will be devoted to commenting on the works On Friendship [De Amicitia] by Cicero and the Apology of Socrates by Plato.
The proportion of the course which includes each of these activities is as follows: theory classes (50%) and practical classes (50%).
The course is structured in theoretical and practical sessions to allow for the assessment of the knowledge and competences acquired in both a differentiated and complementary way. Theoretical contents will be assessed in a mid-course and a final test. Both will be written and they will test the student’s capacity to cross-cut the contents from the different topics in a personal and original way. The practical part will be assessed continuously.
To be able to obtain the final grade through the average of the theoretical and practical parts, students need to pass each one of them independently (pass grade=5). Attendance, attention and participation will be taken into account as relevant elements when defining the final grade.