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Faculty values

Purpose, mission and vision

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Purpose

The purpose of the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies is to cultivate and improve philosophical studies for the purpose of deeper understanding of man and his life, to promote reflection and dialogue with today’s world, and to cultivate and improve the study of science about religions and religious problems so that they can be better known and overcome in today’s world.

Mission statement

The mission of the Faculty is to achieve these goals in an excellent and recognizable way through its teaching, scientific and publishing activities:

  • on the basis of a permanently valuable philosophical heritage, bearing in mind recent philosophical and scientific research, to cultivate and advance philosophical and religious studies with the aim of a deeper understanding of man and his life, promoting philosophical-religious reflection and dialogue with today's world;
  • to promote the study of philosophy with all its periods and branches within the humanities, and having a good foundation in ancient philosophy, a particularly strong side of the study is the learning, research and exposition of medieval, scholastic, neo-scholastic and personalist philosophy;
  • to systematically link the field of philosophy with the interdisciplinary field of religious sciences, which in a special way includes the exposition of Arabic, Jewish, Indian and Chinese philosophies, according to the available teachers;
  • to cultivate and improve the study of religious sciences (sciences of religions, in the interdisciplinary field of humanities) in a special way, as a unique study in Croatia that deals with religious issues with the aim of better mutual understanding in a multicultural and multireligious society such as ours;
  • to educate students in interreligious dialogue, ecumenism and comparative study of world religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, etc.) and forms of religiosity, and their inclusion in various social groups, organizations and media to promote this dialogue in society and the world;
  • to educate students in recognizing the influence of religions on culture, society, art, science, legislation, economy and political life, and to educate them for research, analytical and advisory work on these topics in various spheres of social activity;
  • to study the relationship between science and faith and to develop a dialogue between them, as well as a dialogue between spirituality and worldliness;
  • to study and present the Croatian philosophical and Christian religious heritage;
  • to prepare students for teaching and research work in philosophical and religious disciplines;
  • to research philosophical and religious issues and to communicate the results of the research by teaching, publishing and other appropriate means, and thus to actively participate in public debates;
  • to systematically teach philosophical disciplines and disciplines of religious sciences, first to achieve academic degrees, and then to communicate and bring religious and philosophical reflection, education and culture in a specific sociocultural and historical context closer to students of philosophy and religious sciences and to other people.

Vision statement

By joining the European higher education area and adapting to it the study programs, and by constantly monitoring and improving the quality of scientific and teaching activities, the Faculty expresses its public responsibility in building society through the education of young people and the scientific work of its teachers. Through its work in the field of philosophy and religion, the Faculty wants to build a culture of dialogue and cooperation between different worldviews and different religious communities in Croatia, Europe and the world. In the world, 84% of people declare that they belong to a religious community, and in Croatia the percentage is even higher. Therefore, for the harmonious coexistence of citizens in the country and for harmonious relations between peoples, cultures and religions in the modern world, it is essential to develop mutual knowledge, understanding and a culture of dialogue.
The Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Sciences will pay special attention to the study of religious sciences (which is the only study of its kind in Croatia), the study of religions – Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, etc. – hermeneutics of sacred texts, comparative study of religions and religious dialogue, and thus contribute to preventing their abuse for political or economic interests, preventing the provocation of “conflicts of civilizations,” and developing a contemporary global culture of humanity that must be based on understanding in the enriching diversity. Religions also have great potential for moral principles and values that can contribute to the development of social and international solidarity, responsibility for other living beings and nature, the development of a culture of life in a world threatened by many forms of alienation: reduction of life to bureaucratic, legalistic, atomized, technological, economic, for-profit, consumerist, dehumanized forms.
Philosophy questions the basic principles of our cognition and action, our sciences and technology, our relationships with humans and other beings, and the whole of nature and the created world, evaluates them and guides us in life. The Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Sciences, guided by the principle of ‘Amor veritatis’, wants to promote philosophical education and philosophical thinking that is met through living philosophizing and includes learning about all periods of philosophy in all cultures in which it developed (ancient Greek, Arabic, modern European, Indian, Chinese, etc.), and questions important and current philosophical questions in all areas in the modern world marked by rapid and far-reaching changes. In this sense, the Faculty recognizes the need to develop specialized units (centers, institutes or similar) for a deeper study of certain aspects of philosophy and religion and for dialogue with various areas of life (scientific, economic, social and others).
The Faculty wants to develop all its activities in interdisciplinary cooperation with scientists and with scientific, educational and other institutions in the country and the world.
To achieve these visions, the Faculty will continuously invest in its research and teaching staff, encouraging them to progress and improve (preferably abroad), include external top scientists and experts, and improve the educational process in all organizational forms (lectures, seminars, exercises, research, field work, through scientific conferences, forums, workshops, including forms of lifelong learning, etc.), to develop publishing and various forms of dissemination and application of knowledge and acquired skills.

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