Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
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2016 - 2017 Programme

Profile

 


Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy

 Daytime Programme    180 credits   3 years
 European Qualifications Framework (EQF): Level 6 
 Internship: no  Final assignment: yes   Exchange Programmes: yes


The philosopher is he who is endlessly surprised by the world that surrounds him.

Being a philosopher, is first and foremost positioning yourself in a fundamental attitude of openness and questioning towards the world.

His goal, by confronting his views with others, and thereby engaging in a critical reflection with others, is to understand.

Philosophers are never satisfied with accepted beliefs. Their goal is to challenge certainties, to question every aspect of our existence, including the things we take for granted: the meaning of everyday language; our perceptions of bodies, others, space & time, and death.

Studying philosophy is the right choice for you if:

  • You are not satisfied with prevailing ‘ready-made’ thinking;
  • You don’t expect ‘ready-made’ answers;
  • You wish to pursue a critical and constructive questioning of the world around you;
  • You are interested in discovering complex and stimulating schools of thought;
  • You believe that to build the future, we must understand the past;
  • You wish to develop your own understanding of the world by confronting it with what the great philosophers, but also your peers, and your teachers, have to say.

In short, you are ready to embark on the path of perpetual questioning, and take pleasure in thinking!

Structure

The bachelor in Philosophy is a first cycle programme (a so-called "transition" bachelor), which comprises 180 credits spread over three years. It provides a preparation for the second cycle programme in philosophy (Master’s degree) that our students can follow at another university (for further information, see the “Access to further studies” page).

At Saint-Louis, the programme is divided into two sections: a “major” that represents the core of the programme, and a “minor”, a set of optional courses selected according to an area of specialisation.

The major consists of a set of general courses that introduce to the main disciplines of human sciences (History, Sociology, Psychology, Law, Historical Criticism, Comparative Literature, Linguistics, etc.) as well as a specialised section in Philosophy, addressed through its theoretical and cultural (moral philosophy, epistemology of human sciences, history of philosophy from antiquity, special issues of ethics, natural law, philosophy of language, etc.), as well as methodological aspects (methodology of philosophy, philosophy exercises, reading seminar on philosophical texts, etc.).

In addition to this initial training, the student must select, from the 1st year, one of the ten available minors.

The minor accounts for 30 credits, spread over the three years of the bachelor programme, and is intended to open the training to sciences of society: European Studies, French and Romance languages and literatures, political science, information and communication; "tailor-made" (students must address their requests for this minor to the head of the section). (For details about their programmes, refer to the "Minors" page)

Finally, student must choose, in total during their bachelor's programme, 9 credits of language courses to develop or improve their language skills in a language other than French: either ancient (Latin, Greek) or modern (Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, English).

This combination of courses allows the student to found the humanistic culture, which has always been the trademark of the Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Letters, and Human Sciences.