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Philosophy, Ethics, and Art History

Forests of Human Intellectual Heritage Where Wisdom Can Take a Breath　Encountering New Values Hidden Deep in the World of Profundity

Philosophy, ethics and art history have the values of truth, goodness and beauty at their core. By questioning all concepts of learning and knowledge, they consider various problems in our lives at a fundamental level.

Philosophy teaches us diverse ways of thinking, and how to expand the possibilities of thought.

Ethics is a discipline that seeks to understand humans from a broad perspective by questioning human actions (“What should I do?”) and human existence (“Why am I here?”).

Art history fosters the ability to consider and empirically pursue the functions and meanings of the works of art and other visual representations that humans creates, thereby understanding human ways of thinking and eras.

These disciplines cultivate the abilities to think, act and feel that are necessary to live in society, nurturing the applied skills that help us live happier lives.

Objectives: Feel, Think and Act

Deep learning in each one of these disciplines is designed to help students attain systematic knowledge and practical applied skills. They cultivate the ability to feel, think and appropriately judge matters, as well as the ability to flexibly communicate and accurately take in the visual information that permeates everyday life.

Philosophy cultivates the ability to think freely about topics in a multifaceted fashion, through understanding what matters the people of other cultures and eras have debated and how they resolved numerous problems. Ethics is based on theories developed according to the wisdom of people from all eras and places. This wisdom fosters the ability to addresses how humans should live, explore how humans should think about problems in society and life, and how to put these theories into practice. Art history cultivates the ability to empirically consider and rationally analyze works of art based on historical and social contexts.

In addition to those who seek jobs with private corporations or to become civil servants or teachers, this program produces large numbers of art gallery and museum curators as well as specialized researchers.

Features: Cultivation of Universal and Critical Viewpoints

Students who select this program also choose a research field. In philosophy, students take traditional Western philosophical arguments within the context of the current era, interpret and expand them in practical terms, and learn debate and a wide range of solutions based on a foundation of logic and clarity that can be applied now. Students of ethics take their cues from the ethical thinking of the West and Japan. They consider the universal problem of how humans should behave—as well as specific and individual problems regarding how they themselves should behave—all in pursuit of the essence of what it means to “live well.” Students of art history consider a diverse range of images, including painting, sculptures, photographs, decorations and even advertisements, precisely extract their meanings through repeated discussion, and polish their ability to grasp the art from their own perspectives. Students can specialize in their own fields or explore other areas as well by combining their specialties with other secondary programs or interdisciplinary programs in the Faculty of Letters and Education to create their own unique approaches.