Course 2024-2025

Introduction to philosophy [DROIB132]

  • 5 credits
  • 45h
  • 2nd quarter
Language of instruction: French / Français

Learning outcomes

To discover some currents of contemporary thought through different questions that may be of interest to the lawyer and his or her intellectual approach.

Objectives

To enable law students to familiarise themselves with philosophical questioning in order to learn to analyse, judge and problematise situations by questioning them from different points of view.

Content

FIRST PART CHAPTER 1 : The fields and tools of philosophy (Philosophy and technology, Philosophy and art, Philosophy and politics, Philosophy and ethics) CHAPTER 2: What does 'reasoning' mean? (Form of rationality -, Practical rationality, Theoretical rationality, Instrumental rationality -, Reason and cosmology - The myth of Prometheus: law at the foundation of society, Elaboration of a rational cosmology, Reason and logic - The criteria of knowledge, The meaning of logic; Reason and madness; Errors of reasoning: sophisms; The illusions of reason: Kant's critical project PART TWO What is judging? Introduction ; The "practical judgment" in ancient philosophy : Plato and Aristotle - Plato and the practical judgment as "science of measure", Aristotle : the reasons of the contingent and the virtue of "prudence" (phronèsis).Paul Ricoeur and the "little ethics" - The "little ethics", "From morals to ethics, to ethics", Ethics -; Applied ethics: exemplification of the transfer in the case of a medical judgement - Corollary: The three forms of the relation to the other: recognition, friendship, solicitude What is justice? Introduction, Rawls' definition of justice, Characteristics of teleological justice, Procedural justice, Questions to Rawls: A. Sen's and M. Nussbaum's response to Rawls, Conclusion: Back to McIntyre: justice as a virtue. Sen and M. Nussbaum's response to Rawls , Conclusion: Back to McIntyre: justice as virtue . Rawls' definition of justice


Teaching methods

Oral lessons. Note taking. Syllabus.

Evaluations

Written examination on both parts of the course.

Recommended readings

Recommended readings can be found in the syllabus or will be indicated during the course.

Language of instruction

French / Français

Location for course

NAMUR

Organizer

Faculté de droit
Rue de Bruxelles, 61
5000 NAMUR

Degree of Reference

Undergraduate Degree
BlockCredits
Bachelier en droit15