History
The Faculty of Philosophy has a long history that is traced back to 1661. That is the year when Jesuit Collegium was turned into the university with two departments: theological and philosophical. At that time approximately 200 students were studying at the philosophical department. The curriculum was designed on the model of the curriculums of Jesuit schools of the XVI century, and significant changes were introduced only in the XVIII century. Aristotle’s system was put in the core of this curriculum, which included Logic, Physics and Metaphysics. Besides, History, Geography, the Greek and Latin languages were taught at the department. Students studied for three years there and, after the graduation from the philosophical department, they could continue their studies at the theological department.
In the middle of the XVIII century, the Department of Mathematics was established at the faculty. The Polish, French and German languages as well as Geography and History started to be taught as separate subjects. After the dissolution of Jesuit Order in 1773, the University was also closed down. It was reopened again in 1784 by the decree of Austrian Emperor Joseph II. The structure of the university, along with Law, Medicine and Theology, included the faculty of Philosophy. At that time the faculty played the role of preparatory studies for three other “higher” faculties. First year students studied Logic, Pure Mathematics, General and Natural History and Diplomacy; second year students studied Physics, Applied Mathematics, and General History; third year students studied Metaphysics, Natural Theology and Ethics, General History, Numismatics, Aesthetics, Practical Mathematics, Geometry and Technologies.
Ihnatsiy Yuzeh Martynovych (1755-1795), the author of a two-volume textbook on experimental physics, was the first Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in the reopened University. Among the teachers of philosophical disciplines the following figures should be mentioned: Petro Lodiy (1764-1829), a follower of Kant’s philosophy and the author of the textbooks Metaphysics and Logical guidelines; Ihnats Yan Hanush (1812-1869), a professor of classical philosophy and aesthetics and Viktor Vatslav Han (1763-1816). During the XIX century, from 80 to 180 students studied every year at the Faculty of Philosophy. Such well-known figures of Ukrainian culture and politics as Ya. Holovatksiy, V. Navrotskiy, M. Pavlyk, O. Terletskiy, I. Franko were among the students of the university. In 1924 the Faculty was divided into Humanities as well as Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The first half of the XX century at the Faculty of Philosophy of Lviv University was associated with the names of Brentano’s student, representative of analytical philosophy Kazimierz Twardowski (1866-1938), and student and critic of Edmund Husserl, phenomenologist Roman Ingarden (1893-1970).
After World War II, the Faculty was closed down, and only one department of philosophy was opened instead. In different times the department was headed by professors Andriy Brahinets, Borys Kublanov, Tamara Starchenko, Andriy Pashuk. The teachers of the department conducted researches in the field of history of philosophy, social philosophy, methodology, and logic of scientific knowledge.
In 1992 the Faculty of Philosophy was reopened. Andriy Pashuk was the first Dean of the reestablished faculty. In 1996 Volodymyr Melnyk became the Dean. Professor Liudmyla Ryzhak has been the Dean since 2014. Nowadays there are almost 100 teachers and more than 800 students and postgraduates at the faculty. They are taught by the following six departments: History of Philosophy, Philosophy, Theory and History of Culture, Political Science, Theory and History of Political Science, Psychology.
The Cordis Scientific Society of students, postgraduates, doctoral students and young scientists operates at the faculty. The Board of the Society supports talented researchers, organizes and conducts scientific conferences, seminars, round table meetings, debates and competitions of scientific works. The scientific society actively cooperates with student self-government, students’ union and youth public organizations.
The Faculty of Philosophy takes pride in its teachers, students and graduates. We are creating a unique history of the faculty, preserving and establishing its traditions together. Glory to the Faculty of Philosophy! Glory to Ukraine!