INTRODUCTION

The program of "Philosophy and Civilizations" starts from the data of the "new plan of Education in Lebanon", approved by the Council of ministers at 25/10/94. This material has been given:

3 weekly periods in the second secondary class: Humanities Section

9 weekly periods in the third secondary class: Humanities and Literature Section

2 weekly periods in the second secondary class: Sciences Section

3 weekly periods in the third secondary class: Sociology and Economic Section

2 weekly periods in the third secondary class: General Science and Life Science Sections

"Philosophy and Civilizations" is considered as an integrated unit in the two academic secondary years in their different sections, despite the apparent distribution of titles: for the purpose of dealing with civilizations, ancient and modern, is to express the common traits of human activities in different times and places, and to show, as possible, the interaction between human Civilizations, mentally and practically.

The same aim is to be found in analyzing the philosophic objectives suggested by the program, for each has its own roots in the history of human thought, as well as its extensions and branches in the present. In approaching those subjects, the program aims at training the teacher and accompanying him in his formation through understanding himself and the other and to discover truth and live values.

In both cases, in Civilization and Philosophy, discussion will greatly depend on texts. No need to indicate the significance of texts in studying historical and philosophic problems: so, prolonged pages on Hamorabi’s law, for example, are in no way the same like the original text itself, put now before the learner to help him for better understanding, checking, and concluding the suitable lessons and results.

The same is to be said of philosophic theories and matters, for analysis despite of its importance hasn’t the same impact of the text itself. Dealing and analyzing texts will, in addition, help the learner to develop his critical spirit and to continue his auto - learning. So, our referring to authors, titles and texts is an inevitable task, in both Arab philosophy and General philosophy.

More over, the program of the third secondary class - Humanities and Literature Section - makes an equivalence between "General philosophy" and "Arab philosophy" issues, not in the aim of drawing a formal parallelism between the texts of both, but in collecting, perhaps, the different viewpoints, if possible and necessary, in one chapter, which fulfills as part of the aim of having an open space for Arab philosophy matters. Our aim is reviving the Arab philosophic heritage, as a part of the human philosophic heritage, unseparated from that which is before or otherwise after.

So, teaching "Philosophy and Civilizations", and its renewed content, do not aim at giving the learner the ultimate and the latest knowledge of Human sciences only, but also to share positively and directly in forming the personality of the learner himself in a sound, balanced and integral way, the finality of all science and knowledge.

Teaching "Philosophy and Civilizations", finally, does not submit to rigid and predetermined rules, for the professor of the material has rather the initiative to choose the suitable approaches within the framework of the general and special objectives of materials.

Further more, this suggested program is not the final end; one of its aims is, rather, to open new horizons touching the modern developments in teaching philosophy and civilization, a method and a content.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES :

1- Recognizing the experiences of peoples in their customs, thoughts and the way they understand themselves and surroundings, due to their own criteria.

2- Identifying the diversity of Civilizations, concerning especially their systems and activities, in the light of their own value references and their geographic, historical and cultural frameworks.

3- Recognizing the different modes each civilization had in innovating its own answers and they developed in relation and response to definite conditions and challenges.

4- Helping the learner to approach civilization as an integral and genuine unity.

5- Perceiving the lines of interaction between different civilizations and their movements throughout history as an integrated human experience.

6- Identifying the most essential achievements in Mathematical, experimental and human sciences, and their effects on the life of individuals and groups.

7- Demonstrating the significance of the Concept of Method, the different types of scientific research and the questions and criticisms they imply.

8- Identifying the most essential philosophic approaches to constituents of civilizations in both growth and development on the one hard and retarding or descending on the other.

9- Sharing the space of values and morals, their different functions and the value systems, principles and criteria they include, fulfilled in human behavior.

10- Recognizing the different philosophic approaches of the domain of theology and its issues in relation to the philosophy of belief and the finality of existence.

11- Practicing the philosophic question and the free and creative thought it implies or results.

12- Developing the objectivity and the critical sense of the learner in dealing with different intellectual and philosophic problems afar from submission, fragmentary visions and simplification.

TABLE OF DISTRIBUTION OF PERIODS

Stages	Secondary Education
	First year	Second Year		Third year
Year		Humanities	Sciences	Literature and Humanities	Sociology and Economics	General Sciences	Life Sciences
Weekly periods	-	3	2	9	3	2	2
Yearly periods	-	90	60	270	90	60	60

SECOND SECONDARY – HUMANITIES SECTION

SPECIAL OBJECTIVES

1- Identifying the concept of Civilization and its main structures.

2- Understanding the ancient Civilizations, uncovering the sources of thought and philosophy.

3- Recognizing Arab civilization in both sources and achievements and demonstrating the role of monotheistic religions in its structure as well as its role and future.

4- Understanding the texts of some great thinkers in the philosophy of civilizations.

5- Recognizing the necessity of understanding the other, as he introduces himself, and the positive acceptance of the traits he has.

6- Helping him to express himself, and communicating his milieu positively and openly.

7- Discovering the ties between the modes of thought and the main characteristics of each culture.

8- The intellectual and behavioral independences and the positive and active presence, professionally socially and politically.

9- Insisting the universality of civilization, and the humanism of culture, and the balanced employment of the present achievements, in conformity with the sound demands of the society and the nation, assimilating its values and heritage.

10- Insisting the cultural and spiritual connection and open-mindness, avoiding passivity, isolationism and alienation.

11- Forming analytic and critical outlook towards civilizations.

12- The employment of model achievements in conformity with the sound demands of the society and the nation, to demonstrate the values of his human cultural and spiritual heritage.

13- Developing the objectivity and the critical sense of the learner in dealing with different intellectual and philosophic problems afar from submission, fragmentary visions and simplification.

SECOND SECONDARY – HUMANITIES SECTION

Theme	Content	Number of periods
I- General Introduction	a. Defining civilization and its main structure b. The main properties of prehistoric civilizations	6
II- Civilizations
	1- Mesopotamic civilizations: a. The historic and geographic environment b. The Cuneiform writing