French is a major world language, in Africa as well as in Europe and Canada. Together with Francophone art and culture, France's philosophical ideas have played a central part in creating our modern civilisation. Studying French and Philosophy, which has been at the core of Western intellectual life for at least 2,500 years, helps us understand the world in which we live now, as well as shedding light on the past. Studying on this programme will lead you to near-native fluency in the French language, thanks to our four years of intensive training, including a year abroad. At the same time, you will explore French culture – its literature, cinema, political history and philosophical ideas. We can offer you a wide range of courses spanning the Middle Ages to the 21st century. The University of Edinburgh has a strong historic connection with Philosophy as a subject, counting Adam Ferguson and Sir William Hamilton among our former students. While there are different approaches that philosophers have taken, a characteristic of Philosophy is the emphasis on the use of argument, critical enquiry, rigour in reasoning and clarity of expression, including the making of pertinent distinctions. Our programme is structured in such a way that you will cover the basics of Western philosophy and have the opportunity to specialise in the areas that interest you most.