Welcome to the Department of 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.

 

Members of the Department

Courses

Supplemental Information