The Higher Institute of Philosophy (i.e. the faculty of philosophy) of the Catholic University of Leuven was founded in 1889 by Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier to be a beacon of Neo-Thomist philosophy. Its main buildings are located in the center of the city of Leuven, Belgium, near the Kardinaal Mercier Square.
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The institute was founded in 1889, although Philosophy and Theology have been taught at the University since it was founded in 1425. The institute taught programs in both French and Dutch. After the language split, programs continued in Dutch with little and at times no content taught in French. In 1993 the institute became officially a faculty of philosophy. There are very few universities or colleges which have its own dedicated faculty of philosophy.[1] In 1969 the institute introduced courses in English which has since grown into a full blown program.
The institute offers the European Union Style B.A., M.A. and PhD as well as pre doc and post doc like programs, all in both Dutch and English. There is no class distinction between the languages and students can take classes in both languages if desired.[2]
The Higher Institute is well known as the home of the Husserl-Archives. At the death of the founder of the phenomenological movement, fearing for the destruction of his Nachlass at the hands of the Nazis, Father Herman Van Breda, (Franciscan), PhD student at the institute, saved Husserl's manuscripts, library and widow and smuggled them to Leuven via diplomatic channels.
The Institute publishes a Dutch-language philosophy journal, the Tijdschrift voor Philosophie, and the Ethische Perspectieven / Ethical Perspectives. It also organizes several major publication efforts, including the Husserliana (Husserl-Archives) and the Aristoteles Latinus (De Wulff-Mansion center), the Latin editions of Aristotle's works known to the medieval philosophers.
Internationally renowned professors who have lectured at the institute:
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