The aim of this course is to introduce students to the philosophical process and abstract thinking. Students should be able to understand what a philosophical approach consists of, and to demonstrate their ability to distance themselves critically from all opinions and convictions, including their own. He/she must be able to ensure the overall coherence of an argument, demonstrate an ability to understand and confront complex reasoning other than his/her own, and demonstrate relative ease in the use of technical concepts. Using course notes, he or she will also have to confront the reading of a philosophical text.
The course comprises a general introduction and two main parts. The general introduction sets out to answer the question "What is philosophy? It consists of a methodological presentation of philosophy, distinguishing it from other forms of discourse such as art, religion or science. It does not form part of the examination material. The two main parts are devoted to moral philosophy and political philosophy respectively.
The exam will be written and closed-book. It will consist of three parts: two summary questions, an application question based on a text, and six multiple-choice questions.
For students taking only the moral philosophy section, the application question may be replaced by a third synthesis question from the syllabus.