6 ECTS credits
150 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4021306BEW for working students in the 1st semester
at
a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.
- Semester
- 1st semester
- Enrollment based on exam contract
- Possible
- Grading method
- Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
- Can retake in second session
- Yes
- Enrollment Requirements
- NOTE: registration for this course is only possible for working students. Day students can register for courses whose code ends with an R. At Inschrijven / studentenadministratie@vub.be you must be registered at the VUB as a working student for the current academic year.
- Taught in
- English
- Faculty
- Faculty of Languages & Humanities
- Department
- History, Archaeology, Arts, Philosophy and Ethics
- Educational team
- Emiliano Acosta
(course titular)
- Activities and contact hours
-
26 contact hours Lecture
100 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
- Course Content
The course is divided into two parts:
1. The first one deals with the history of Freemasonry. Main topics here are: problems and limitations of every historical explanation of the genesis of Freemasonry; the historical conditions of possibility of Freemasonry as a new form of sociability at the beginning of the 18th century, and why in England; the myths on Freemasonry and conspiracy theories; the presence of Freemasonry in Belgian political history.
2. The second part deals with the theory of Freemasonry. Main topics of this part are: problems in defining Freemasonry; freedom, equality and brotherhood as pillars of democratic sociability; symbolism and rituals; exclusion and inclusion mechanisms in Freemasonry; tensions between individual, society and State.
- Course material
- Digital course material (Required) : A selection of classical and recent literature on history and theory of Freemasonry will be available, Canvas
Handbook (Required) : Filosofie van de Vrijmetselarij, Brieven aan Konstant, Fichte, Johann Gottlieb, ASP editions, 9789057184475, 2015
- Additional info
Attendance during permanent evaluation moments is indispensable.
- Learning Outcomes
-
General Competencies
Knowledge
- The student has knowledge and understanding of the societal, cultural, philosophical and ideological meaning of the phenomenon "Freemasonry" since its origin at the beginning of the 18th century in England up to the present.
- The student has insight in the tensions between cosmopolitanism and Eurocentrism at the core of 18th century European Freemasonry.
- The student has knowledge of and insight in the presence of the conceptual legacy of Freemasonry in contemporary debates on political philosophy and humanistic issues.
Skills
- The student can critically read secondary literature on Freemasonry.
- Students can support with consistent arguments their own interpretation of Freemasonry.
- The student can autonomously and scientifically develop solutions for contemporary problems such as inequality, social, cultural, religious and economical exclusion and religious tolerance.
- The student can report verbally and in writing in a clear and concise way about his/her own work and uses the same skills in transferring knowledge about the topics discussed in the course.
- The student can participate interactively and on his or her own initiative in discussions and debates related to the thematic axes of the course.
Attitudes
- The student can situate and apply the acquired knowledge in a comprehensive philosophical framework that focuses on free research, enlightenment and humanism.
- The student can autonomously, critically and responsibly study and produce knowledge.
- The student can see ethical and humanistic issues from a broader perspective than just his or her own identity and culture.
- Grading
-
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
LEC Paper determines 60% of the final mark.
PRAC Teamwork determines 40% of the final mark.
Within the LEC Paper category, the following assignments need to be completed:
- Written Assignment Paper
with a relative weight of 1
which comprises 60% of the final mark.
Note: Students must submit a paper related to the content of the course (guidelines, objectives, possible topics and deadline will be communicated in the class and on Canvas.
Within the PRAC Teamwork category, the following assignments need to be completed:
- Oral Presentation
with a relative weight of 1
which comprises 40% of the final mark.
Note: During the course, students make in group an oral presentation of one of the selected texts for the course.
- Additional info regarding evaluation
The final grade will be determined by two factors:
- Team presentation and active and critical participation during the course (permanent evaluation): 40%
- Individual paper on one of the topics or authors discussed during the course (final examination): 60%
- Allowed unsatisfactory mark
- The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.
Academic context
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Philosophy and Moral Sciences: Philosophy (only offered in Dutch)
Master in Applied Sciences and Engineering: Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (only offered in Dutch)
Master in Applied Sciences and Engineering: Computer Science: Multimedia (only offered in Dutch)
Master in Applied Sciences and Engineering: Computer Science: Software Languages and Software Engineering (only offered in Dutch)
Master in Applied Sciences and Engineering: Computer Science: Data Management and Analytics (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Applied Sciences and Engineering: Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence
Master of Applied Sciences and Engineering: Computer Science: Multimedia
Master of Applied Sciences and Engineering: Computer Science: Software Languages and Software Engineering