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Philosophy of History

Code: 100302
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Philosophy OB 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Jesús Hernandez Reynes
Email :
jesus.hernandez@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

No former requirements apply to enrole the course

Objectives

This course analyses how the different conceptions of historical time shape human existence. The tension between experienced temporality and the duty to project a conscious vital activity is examined, investigating how communities organize themselves collectively to achieve common goals. Students will learn to critically evaluate how macro historical narratives determine contemporary life projects.


Learning outcomes

  • CM13 (Demonstrate intellectual autonomy, openness to dissent, and commitment to epistemic and social justice.) Demonstrate intellectual autonomy, openness to dissent, and commitment to epistemic and social justice.
  • CM14 (Develop innovative proposals in which the role of philosophy in social and cultural transformation is recognised through ethical positioning in the face of various inequalities, as well as discrimination in the environment on the basis of gender, race or class.) Develop innovative proposals in which the role of philosophy in social and cultural transformation is recognised through ethical positioning in the face of various inequalities, as well as discrimination in the environment on the basis of gender, race or class.
  • CM15 (Contrast through dialogue different contemporary philosophical currents, favoring interdisciplinary and inclusive reflection.) Contrast through dialogue different contemporary philosophical currents, favoring interdisciplinary and inclusive reflection.
  • KM14 (Recognise the main contemporary philosophical currents, their historical contexts and their theoretical implications.) Recognise the main contemporary philosophical currents, their historical contexts and their theoretical implications.
  • KM15 (Associate the different conceptions of the subject, language, history, justice and power in contemporary thought.) Associate the different conceptions of the subject, language, history, justice and power in contemporary thought.
  • KM16 (Demonstrate a critical and plural philosophical vision of the contemporary world, aware of its social, political and cultural complexities and attentive to the impact of power relations on the shaping of discourses and identities.) Demonstrate a critical and plural philosophical vision of the contemporary world, aware of its social, political and cultural complexities and attentive to the impact of power relations on the shaping of discourses and identities.
  • KM45 (Identify between the features that define an author's place in the context of a problem and reorganise them into a coherent scheme.) Identify between the features that define an author's place in the context of a problem and reorganise them into a coherent scheme.
  • SM14 (Apply conceptual tools from various contemporary philosophical traditions to address current problems.) Apply conceptual tools from various contemporary philosophical traditions to address current problems.
  • SM15 (Apply a critical and plural philosophical vision of the contemporary world, with an awareness of its social, political and cultural complexities.) Apply a critical and plural philosophical vision of the contemporary world, with an awareness of its social, political and cultural complexities.
  • SM16 (Integrate contributions from different theoretical currents to formulate a grounded social perspective on historicity, language, rationality, oppression and identity.) Integrate contributions from different theoretical currents to formulate a grounded social perspective on historicity, language, rationality, oppression and identity.

Contents

  1. What is the philosophy of history? Historiographical history vs. thought history. The birth of historical consciousness.
  2. The Structure of Human Lifetime. Sacred time and the straight line.
  3. The milestone of the Enlightenment and Progress. Origin of "future-centrism".
  4. Existential temporality and finitude.
  5. The interruption of empty time. Kairos and redemption.
  6. Life as a historical task.
  7. Freedom in situation and project. The responsibility of history itself.
  8. Time expropriated. Alienation.
  9. The late modern social acceleration and the impossibility of the long term.
  10. The organization of life in common and life goals. Public space and the birth rate.
  11. Utopia as a historical engine.
  12. The Anthropocene, the climate crisis and the end of traditional human history.
  13. Accelerationism and the Apocalypse.


Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Office hours 15 0.6 CM13, CM14, CM15, KM14, KM15, KM16, KM45, SM14, SM15, SM16
Reading texts 15 0.6 CM13, CM14, CM15, KM14, KM15, KM16, KM45, SM14, SM15, SM16
Reading and study 75 3 CM13, CM14, CM15, KM14, KM15, KM16, KM45, SM14, SM15, SM16
Classes 30 1.2 CM13, CM14, CM15, KM14, KM15, KM16, KM45, SM14, SM15, SM16

The course combines lectures with seminar sessions and in-class discussion of the main readings of the course. Students actively participate in the analysis of the texts and in the learning process. Class attendance is essential.
Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Second midterm 45% 2 0.08 CM13, CM14, CM15, KM14, KM15, KM16, KM45, SM14, SM15, SM16
Participation and attendance 10% 11 0.44 CM13, CM14, CM15, KM14, KM15, KM16, KM45, SM14, SM15, SM16
First midterm 45% 2 0.08 CM13, CM14, CM15, KM14, KM15, KM16, KM45, SM14, SM15, SM16

The continuous assessment system consists of:

1. Two midterm exams (45% each)

3. Class attendance and participation (10%)

Single assessment

The single assessment will consist of an exam with two parts corresponding to the two blocks and a work (2000-2500 words) on a topic chosen in agreement with the teacher and which must be delivered on the same day of the exam.

Recovery

On the date established by the Dean's Office, an exclusive recovery will be made for failures. Participation is not recoverable. To participate in the reassessment, students must have previously been evaluated in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade (CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT) or have delivered all the planned tests (SINGLE ASSESSMENT).

At the time of each evaluation activity, the teacher will inform the students (Moodle) of the procedure and the date of revision of the grades.

The student will receive a grade of "Not assessed" as long as he/she has not submitted more than 30% of the assessment activities.

Use of AI

In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed as an integral part of the development of the study and evaluation work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution of the student in the analysis and personal reflection. In the case of assessment activities, the student will have to clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how they have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The non-transparency of the use of AI in the evaluable activities will be considered a lack of academic honesty and will lead to the activity being evaluated with a 0 and not being able to be recovered, or greater sanctions in cases of severity.

In general, in the event that the student carries out any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment act, this assessment will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be carried out. In the event that there are several irregularities in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0.

It is possible that the Department of Philosophy establishes a period of concentration of assessment tests. The teacher will indicate if there is this period or what are the dates of the tests at the beginning of each subject.



Bibliography

Bibliography.

Agustí d’Hipona. 2007. Confessions. Barcelona: Proa.

Arendt, Hannah. 2023. La condició humana. Barcelona: Edicions 62.

Avanessian, Armen y Mauro Reis (comp.). 2017. Aceleracionismo. Estrategias para una transición hacia el postcapitalismo. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Caja Negra.

Benjamin, Walter. 2022. Sobre el concepte d’història. Barcelona: Flâneur.

Bloch, Ernst. 2013. El principio esperanza. Madrid: Trotta (3 vols.).

Chakrabarty, Dipesh. 2009. “The climate of history: Four theses”. Critical inquiry, vol. 35, no 2, p. 197-222. Traducció: Chakrabarty, Dipesh. “El clima de la historia: cuatro tesis”. Utopía y praxis latinoamericana 24, no. 84 (April 28, 2019): 98–118. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2653175.

Chakrabarty, Dipesh. 2022. El clima de la historia en una época planetaria. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

Fukuyama, Francis. 1992. El fin de la historia y el ultimo hombre. Barcelona: Planeta.

Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich. 2004. Lecciones sobre la filosofía de la historia universal. Madrid: Alianza editorial.

Heidegger, Martin. 2020. Tiempo e historia. Madrid: Trotta.

Heidegger, Martin. 2025. Ser y tiempo (Trad. Jorge Eduardo Rivera). Madrid: Trotta.

Kant, Immanuel. 2006. Idea de una historia universal en sentido cosmopolita. Madrid: Tecnos.

Koselleck, Reinhart. 1993. Futuro pasado: Para una semántica de los tiempos históricos. Barcelona: Paidós.

Koselleck, Reinhart. 2021. Ilustración, progreso, modernidad. Madrid: Trotta.

Löwith, Karl. 2007. Historia del mundo y salvación: Los presupuestos teológicos de la filosofía de la historia. Buenos Aires: Katz Editores.

Marx, Karl. 2023. Manuscrits economicofilosòfics. Barcelona: Tigre de Paper.

Ortega y Gasset, José. 2013. Historia como sistema. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.

Rosa, Hartmut. 2016. Alienación y aceleración: Hacia una teoría crítica de la temporalidad en la modernidad tardía. Madrid: Katz Editores.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. 2009. El existencialismo es un humanismo. Barcelona: Edhasa.


Software

No specfic software is required

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed