Philosophy Subject (Secondary and Comprehensive Schools ('Haupt-', 'Real-', 'Sekundar-' and 'Gesamtschule'))

What distinguishes law from justice? What is science allowed to do? What is the relationship between language and the world? Is there free will? These are examples of questions to which Philosophy seeks answers. In the Philosophy teacher training programme, you will systematically and historically engage with questions of this kind and the answers that have been proposed so far. You will identify the strengths and weaknesses of these answers and learn to formulate new questions and answers yourself. A special focus of the study is on how pupils of the subject "Practical Philosophy" can be guided and accompanied in their examination of these questions.

The content of the programme is divided into the areas of Theoretical Philosophy (Philosophy of Science, Epistemology, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind, etc.) and Practical Philosophy (Moral Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy, Theory of Action, etc.). In addition, there is the field of logic and argumentation theory. In addition to subject-specific knowledge in the narrower sense, you will acquire skills in text analysis, in writing and presenting independent philosophical papers, as well as in gathering information and interactively communicating philosophical problems. In addition, you will acquire subject-specific didactic skills that prepare you for the Master of Education and the teaching profession at Secondary and Comprehensive Schools (HRSGe).

If you are interested in dealing with complex philosophical questions independently under supervision, then the Philosophy programme in Bielefeld is the right place for you. Here you will meet committed and interested teaching staff who intensively research and teach a variety of different philosophical topics in a small department. Particular emphasis is placed on on Philosophy as a craft, because Philosophy is definitely something that can be learned. For a teaching degree in HRSGe, you should also have an interest in communicating complex content to younger pupils and engaging with them about it.