Humanities, Philosophy and Religion (HPR)

“Humanities” is one of the General Education components of all programs, which students are required to complete, together with English, French, Physical Education and, a Complementary component of two courses. The Department of Humanities, Philosophy, and Religion also offers first and second level courses in Philosophy and Religion for Social Science and the Arts, Literature & Communication programs, as well as courses in the Arts & Sciences and Liberal Arts programs. Humanities course offerings come in three forms: Knowledge, World Views, and Ethical Issues.

“Knowledge” and “World Views” courses together constitute the introductory or 100-level component of Humanities courses which are concerned with the most basic and general aspects of being human.  These courses provide the background to the 200-level course on “Ethical Issues.”

The focus of study in Knowledge courses may be any appropriate field of knowledge. An appropriate field can be any serious body of knowledge relating to education, law, psychology, creativity, social behaviour, or other disciplines. Humanities courses approach each from an interdisciplinary perspective.

World views are understandings of reality shared by groups or societies defined or self-defined on the basis of common geography, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, ideology, history, religion, spirituality, political values, psychology, language, culture, (dis)ability, etc.

Ethical issues are understood to be questions of social and moral significance approached from a perspective that examines questions of valuing and the notions of good and bad. “Ethical Issues” courses are not meant to be introductions to ethical codes but rather to allow students to examine important questions of human morality as they relate to their respective fields of study and to apply an authentic critical thought process to the resolution of these issues.

 

List of Faculty Members

Humanities, as part of the general education component, is intended to promote personal and social development and to give students a foundation that will help them understand their roles in contemporary society as members of the work force, citizens and individuals. The three sets of objectives and standards in humanities propose common frameworks for understanding the experiences, ideas and values of humankind and their diversity. They are aimed at developing critical thinking, reinforcing the ancillary skills involved in careful reading, organized writing, and well-developed oral presentations, and, where appropriate, improving media and computer literacy. Once students have mastered the three-stage process of analysis, synthesis and evaluation, they will be able to reflect in an informed manner and to communicate what they have learned in an organized and coherent fashion.

For a detailed course offering, please visit the General Education (Humanities) section of the Program Planner.

All cegep-level programs aim to “educate students to live responsibly in society”, “help students integrate cultural knowledge into their studies”, and “help students master language as a tool for thought, communication and openness to the world”. This involves the development of numerous skills, or “competencies”, such as problem-solving abilities, the use of creativity, the ability to adapt to new situations, the ability to exercise a sense of responsibility, and to communicate. According to the ministerial devis, students who have achieved the general education objectives in humanities:

– will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the following:

• the main concepts, limits and uses of a form of knowledge including significant historical reference points
• the main concepts, limits and uses of a world view
• the nature and organization of the basic elements of an ethical question
• methods for coherent integration of concepts and the formulation and synthesis of ideas
• the importance and practice of adequately substantiated argumentation, written and oral

– will be able to demonstrate their ability to do the following:

• describe, explain and organize the main elements, ideas, values and implications of a world view in a coherent fashion
• compare world views
• recognize the basic elements in a specific example of the organization, transmission, and use of knowledge
• recognize forms of creativity and original thought
• define the dimensions, limits and uses of knowledge in appropriate historical contexts
• identify, organize and synthesize the salient elements of a particular example of knowledge
• situate important ethical and social issues in their appropriate historical and intellectual contexts
• explain, analyze and debate ethical issues in a personal and professional context
• utilize the multiple strategies of critical thinking

– will be encouraged to develop the following attitudes:

• openness to diversity and pluralism
• awareness of the limits of knowledge claims, world views and ethical perspectives
• respect for the points of view of others
• empathy and acceptance of others
• concern for global issues
• determination to continue learning