There are also lectures and seminars for both under-graduate and graduate students given by visiting professors. Subjects include philosophy of emotion and reason, philosophy of post-modernism and Locke.

• http://www.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/westphil/ (in Japanese)

The department consists of three sub-departments, Ancient, Medieval and Modern Philosophy, with each student being enrolled in one of the three. Each of these three presents introductory lectures, special lectures and seminars. For under-graduate students of the department, these three introductory lectures and an introductory lecture presented by the Department of Philosophy are obligatory. The choice among other special lectures and seminars, on the other hand, depends on the interest and need of each student. In seminars students have to learn to read and analyse philosophical texts in original languages. Accordingly the ability to read classical Greek and, or, Latin is a prerequisite for students of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy. In the graduate course, students are expected, in addition to attending seminars and special lectures, to develop their own research into philosophical problems. Seminars for the academic year 2008-2009 are: Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant. Other periods or areas in the history of Western philosophy are covered by lecturers from inside and outside of Kyoto University.

The department publishes Kodai Tetsugaku Kenkyu – Methodos (A Journal for Ancient Philosophy), Chusei Tetsugaku Kenkyu – Veritas (Kyoto University Studies in Medieval Philosophy), and Kinsei Tetsugaku Kenkyu (Studies in Modern Philosophy).

• http://www.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/westphil/ (in Japanese)

This department was founded in 1995 in order to meet the need for studying the history of Japanese philosophy. The emphasis is on post-Meiji philosophy, especially on the philosophy of the “Kyoto School”. However, students are encouraged to take interest in traditional Japanese thought, such as Confucianism and Buddhism, and also in Western philosophy so as to enlarge their horizons. They can make also a comparative study of Eastern and Western thought.

• http://www.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/nittetsu/ (in Japanese)

We divide problems of moral philosophy into three categories: (1) Normative questions, for example, “What is the ultimate end for human society and individuals?” (2) Analytical or metaethical questions, for example, “What does the word ‘good’ mean in moral discourse?” (3) Descriptive or historical questions, for example, “Can we interpret Hume as utilitarian?” (4) Issues in Applied Ethics, for example, “Why is privacy important in the information age?” These questions must be treated appropriately in order to construct a satisfactory theory of ethics.

In this department, lectures and seminars are offered which focus on some of the preceding four types of problems. However, students are encouraged to have wider interests in various fields of philosophy. Professor Mizutani’s “Introduction to Moral Philosophy” outlines philosophical theories of action, considers what action as an object of ethics is and critically examines the relation between the action and the norm through discussing some of the dominant ethical theories in the 20th century. He also gives a seminar on philosophy of the communication and public sphere.

Many other problems are covered by visiting lectures. This academic year, for example, lectures or seminars are planned on the following topics: Liberalism, Applied Ethics, Bio-medical Ethics, Moral Realism, Levinas’s Totalite et Infinit, Kant’s Grunlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten, and other texts.

• http://www.ethics.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/index-e.html

Following the tradition established by such distinguished former staff members as Professors Hatano, Nishitani, Takeuchi, Ueda and Hase, the department focuses on education and research in various fields of the philosophy of religion, regardless of differences of religions. Religion and philosophy in Germany, France, America and Japan are extensively examined. Emphasis is given to the following fields of research: German idealism and existentialist philosophy, French phenomenology, Japanese philosophy of religion and American philosophy of religion. The history of religion is also studied.

• http://www.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/religion/ (in Japanese)

This department, unique among Japan’s national university corporations, was founded to meet the need for studying Christianity from non-theological and non-denominational standpoints. It aims at an understanding of Christianity in its essence and in its historical development. The emphasis is on Biblical studies, the history of Christian thought (patristic, Reformation and modern thought) and the systematic theology and philosophy of religion. The following courses are offered: Biblical Hebrew, Old Testament Exegesis, New Testament Exegesis, History of Christian Thought (Seminars on Hannah Arendt, Pannenberg, Seiichi Hatano), Systematic Theology, and Philosophy of Religion. Kirisutokyogaku Kenkyu (Journal of Christian Studies) is published annually by the Society of Christian Studies, Kyoto University.

• http://www.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/christ/en/index.html

This department was founded to integrate instruction and research in philosophy of art and art history. Emphasis is laid upon the following fields of study: theories of visual arts, German and French aesthetics, philosophical research in modern art, history of modern design, history of Japanese and Chinese art, and history of European art.
All students, including those who are primarily interested in the philosophy of art, are required to visit museums, concerts, theaters and so forth so as to enrich their experience in art. Accordingly, research trips to temples, shrines, and museums in the Kinki area are frequently organized. The department publishes the annual bulletin Kyoto Studies in Aesthetics and Art History, which replaced the Kenkyukiyo (nos.1-22) in 2002.

• http://www.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/aesthetics/index_e.html