A Liberal Arts Approach to Philosophy
The
core of every academic discipline is constructed and articulated
philosophically, whether that discipline should be housed in the sciences,
social sciences, humanities, legal studies, or technology. In fact, it is
precisely the philosophical framing of each discipline, which allows that
discipline to state its intentions, to set its goals, as well as to interpret
its findings and discoveries. So to study philosophy is to begin the complex
and exciting journey into the inner sanctuary of the human animal’s rational
habitat.
Studying philosophy enables students to gain knowledge not only of the
specific topics, themes, and personalities that have been, and are, important
to the life of philosophy as a discipline in its own right, but also of the
fact and manner of the rational framing of other institutional academic
disciplines, and, finally, of the life of the mind in general. This study thus provides students with the
background necessary for the advanced academic study of every discipline
philosophically constituted.
The proper study of philosophy is truly interdisciplinary in its conceptualization, and compliments
academic disciplines not only from its native arts and humanities, but also from skills programs to the sciences and sciences. The study of
philosophy is not limited to the confines of philosophy conceived academically, but rather of
philosophy broadly conceived; therefore, it also has the potential to attract
students from majors outside its own borders, thus increasing interdepartmental
sharing and collaboration.
Professor Dr. David Aiken came to teach in the Netherlands from Ferris State University (Michigan, USA), where he was a Full Merit Professor of Humanities, Philosophy, and Religion, an avid supporter of study abroad travel (leading trips to Israel, Greece, Turkey, Italy, and France), as well as a recipient of several distinguished teaching awards.
He completed his undergraduate (BA) and graduate studies (MA) in the United States (Dallas, TX), immersed in the interdisciplinary liberal arts tradition (The Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts at the University of Dallas), specializing in Religious Studies (including Greek and Hebrew), Literature, Theology, and Philosophy, and went on to receive the Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies in French and Comparative Literature (1979) and then the Doctorat de Troisième Cycle (cum laude) in Philosophical Thought from the University of Strasbourg (France, 1981).
Dr Aiken subsequently held three post-doctoral positions, both in research and teaching, at European universities. The first was in the Institut f. klass. Philologie of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt (Germany) at the invitation of Professor Dr. Eisenberger, where, in addition to attending lectures given by the sociologist and philosopher Jürgen Habemas, he completed an annotated translation (from Greek to French) of Book A of Aristotle’s Metaphysics. His second post-doc was awarded in the Department of Dutch Studies of the University of Hull (England), where he was commissioned to work on a project funded by the British Council to computerize a concordance (Old Dutch and Middle High German) of the Haagerliederhandschrift, a medieval Minnesang manuscript collection. His third post-doc was an appointment at the University of Nice (France) as Attaché Temporaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche (ATER), where he taught theoretical English grammar and comparative translation methods (both French-English and English-French). It was from the Centre de Recherches d’Histoire des Idées at the University of Nice (1995) that he received (summa cum laude-très honorable à l’unanimité) the Doctorat d’Etat in Comparative Literature, the History of Ideas, and Philosophy.
Dr. Aiken has completed additional graduate work in Classical Greek, Middle High German, and German Literature (University of Nevada-Reno), as well as in International School Administration (Trenton State University). His teaching and research interests include history of religions, comparative religions, and mythology; ancient Greek thought; Christianity and the ancient Near East, and Nietzsche studies.
Relevant sites & links:
Professor Profile --Je suis Charlie.
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| DA & Voltaire's Traité sur la
tolérance
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Professor Dr. David Aiken came to teach in the Netherlands from Ferris State University (Michigan, USA), where he was a Full Merit Professor of Humanities, Philosophy, and Religion, an avid supporter of study abroad travel (leading trips to Israel, Greece, Turkey, Italy, and France), as well as a recipient of several distinguished teaching awards.
He completed his undergraduate (BA) and graduate studies (MA) in the United States (Dallas, TX), immersed in the interdisciplinary liberal arts tradition (The Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts at the University of Dallas), specializing in Religious Studies (including Greek and Hebrew), Literature, Theology, and Philosophy, and went on to receive the Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies in French and Comparative Literature (1979) and then the Doctorat de Troisième Cycle (cum laude) in Philosophical Thought from the University of Strasbourg (France, 1981).
Dr Aiken subsequently held three post-doctoral positions, both in research and teaching, at European universities. The first was in the Institut f. klass. Philologie of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt (Germany) at the invitation of Professor Dr. Eisenberger, where, in addition to attending lectures given by the sociologist and philosopher Jürgen Habemas, he completed an annotated translation (from Greek to French) of Book A of Aristotle’s Metaphysics. His second post-doc was awarded in the Department of Dutch Studies of the University of Hull (England), where he was commissioned to work on a project funded by the British Council to computerize a concordance (Old Dutch and Middle High German) of the Haagerliederhandschrift, a medieval Minnesang manuscript collection. His third post-doc was an appointment at the University of Nice (France) as Attaché Temporaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche (ATER), where he taught theoretical English grammar and comparative translation methods (both French-English and English-French). It was from the Centre de Recherches d’Histoire des Idées at the University of Nice (1995) that he received (summa cum laude-très honorable à l’unanimité) the Doctorat d’Etat in Comparative Literature, the History of Ideas, and Philosophy.
Dr. Aiken has completed additional graduate work in Classical Greek, Middle High German, and German Literature (University of Nevada-Reno), as well as in International School Administration (Trenton State University). His teaching and research interests include history of religions, comparative religions, and mythology; ancient Greek thought; Christianity and the ancient Near East, and Nietzsche studies.
Relevant sites & links:
