TheInstitute of Philosophy (Dutch:Hoger Instituut voor Wijsbegeerte) is the faculty of philosophy at theKU Leuven in theBelgian city ofLeuven. It was founded in 1968 when theInstitut supérieur de Philosophie - Hoger Instituut voor Wijsbegeerte of theCatholic University of Leuven (1835–1968) was split into aDutch-speaking entity and aFrench-speaking entity. Its main buildings are located in the center of Leuven at theKardinaal Mercier Square, named for the founder of the original institute.
TheInstitut supérieur de Philosophie was founded byCardinal Mercier on 8 November 1889 with the intent to be a beacon ofNeo-Thomistphilosophy, although Philosophy and Theology have been taught at theuniversities of Leuven since 1425. The institute initially taught programs inFrench and started courses inDutch in 1933. After thelanguage split of 1968, theHoger Instituut voor Wijsbegeerte became part of the newly independentKatholieke Universiteit te Leuven, offering programmes in Dutch with little and at times no content taught in French, while the French-speakingInstitut supérieur de Philosophie of theUniversité catholique de Louvain continued in the new city ofLouvain-la-Neuve. In 1993, the institute became the faculty of philosophy.[1]
The institute offers both taught and research degrees (B.A., M.A., MPhil and PhD) as well as pre-doc and post-doc programs, both in Dutch and English. Students can take classes in both languages if desired.[2]
The Institute, together with its French-speaking counterpart inLouvain-la-Neuve,[3] are well known as the home of theHusserl Archives, the research center responsible for the publication of the philosophical work ofEdmund Husserl.[4] After the death of the founder ofthe phenomenological movement, fearing for the destruction of hisNachlass at the hands of theNazis, FatherHerman Van Breda (Franciscan), PhD student at the institute, saved Husserl's manuscripts, library and widow and smuggled them toLeuven via diplomatic channels.
The Institute publishes a Dutch-language philosophy journal, called theTijdschrift voor Filosofie, an interdisciplinary journal in bothDutch:Ethische Perspectieven and English:Ethical Perspectives and theBibliographical Directory of Philosophy (published jointly with theUCLouvain'sInstitut supérieur de Philosophie). It also organizes several major publication efforts, including theHusserliana (Husserl-Archives), theAristoteles Latinus (De Wulf-Mansion centre), the Latin editions ofAristotle's works known to the medieval philosophers.
Internationally renowned professors who have lectured at the institute:
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