I desired to delve into the development and emergence of various philosophical ideas and thereby was drawn to the History of Philosophy track. The History of Philosophy department houses the Center for the History of Philosophy and Science (CHPS), with which experts from a wide range of fields are associated. This variety allows one to acquire knowledge concerning different topics and obtain a better understanding of the relation between distinct philosophical schools.
During the master’s programme, I found it very much challenging to write research papers. However, such assignments were also great in enhancing my research skills, ranging from looking for suitable literature and writing properly to thinking my ideas through. The majority of teachers require students to submit a first, provisional, version of their paper in order to discuss its various aspects, most importantly its content and argumentation. Discussions I had with teachers on my papers were of great help to enhance my critical thinking skills.
Teachers were open-minded and allowed students to explore authors and traditions that were not dealt with during courses, and even encouraged students to find so far undetected links between different ideas or thinkers. This environment was conducive to exploring authors and themes that receive little attention in Western philosophy.