[New Bachelor’s in Humanities] Thinking About the Human Being with Athens, Rome and Jerusalem

19 october 2026

Domuni expands its academic offering with a new Bachelor’s degree in Humanities. Interdisciplinary and progressive, this programme is structured around a question that is as ancient as it is relevant today: what does it mean to be human? To answer this question, students return to the sources of Western thought and trace its development through the Enlightenment, before examining it through the critical lens of anthropology. History, philosophy, literature, the arts, religious traditions, anthropology and an introduction to ancient languages intersect throughout the three years of study. The aim is to understand how human beings have conceived of their freedom, dignity, relationship with others and relationship with the world, and to learn how to engage with these questions independently.

The Bachelor’s degree in Humanities is offered entirely online and is open to holders of the French baccalauréat or an equivalent qualification.

ONE QUESTION, THREE STAGES

The first year goes back to the origins: the earliest city-states of the ancient Near East, Greek thought (reason, language, education and virtue), the Roman conception of citizenship and law, and ancient art.

The second year shows how these legacies, together with that of Jerusalem, came together to form a civilisation. It covers the medieval West, Latin philosophy from Augustine to Duns Scotus and Ockham, Christian anthropology, and the influence of Scripture on European iconography.

The third year explores modernity, from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, including the Reformation and the thought of Descartes, Pascal and Hume. It then examines two approaches that challenge this tradition’s central perspective: Western esotericism and anthropology.

Throughout the programme, students develop a solid grounding in history, philosophy and art. They also learn to read and analyse foundational texts, formulate research questions and construct written arguments in accordance with academic standards.

FIRST YEAR: BACK TO THE SOURCES

The year begins with philosophy. Students study the human being as one who knows, acts and loves, leading up to the concept of the person and the question of human dignity. They then explore the earliest city-states of the ancient Near East and the sources on which historians of antiquity rely.

Through the study of Greece, students discover the legacy of Athens: the human being defined by reason and language, freed from illusion through education and fulfilling their nature through virtue. The programme spans the Presocratic philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. It also examines an artistic tradition in which the human figure takes centre stage.

With Rome, the focus shifts to the human being as citizen and to the law. Students study the res publica, its institutions and its magistracies. They trace the transition from oral custom to the written law of the Twelve Tables, followed by the extension of citizenship to all free men throughout the Empire, a legacy still visible in Roman cities and monuments.

Throughout the year, students practise methods of textual reading and analysis, essential tools for the study of the humanities.

SECOND YEAR: JERUSALEM AND THE MEDIEVAL WEST

The second year places the emergence and subsequent flourishing of the medieval West within its historical context, from the barbarian kingdoms and the Carolingian renovatio to the fall of Constantinople. It was within this context that the legacies of Athens and Rome came together to form a civilisation.

The legacy of Jerusalem is added to these traditions, namely the Christian understanding of the human being. Human beings are created in the image of God, with body and soul united, and are unique persons called to a destiny that does not end with death. Students then explore the philosophy of the Latin West from the sixth to the fifteenth century, from Augustine to Duns Scotus and Ockham. This philosophical tradition represents an effort to reconcile faith and reason, two paths through which human beings gain access to truth.

The study of European iconography, from the symbols of the catacombs to icons and the cross, shows how Scripture has given visual expression to the relationship between God and humanity. The year thus reveals the synthesis of Athens, Rome and Jerusalem on which European culture was built.

Students also discover major works of European literature and receive an introduction to ancient languages.

THIRD YEAR: THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF HUMANISM

The third year traces the transformations of this synthesis in the modern period, as well as the challenges it faced. From the Renaissance and Humanism through to the Enlightenment, the human being and reason move to the centre of intellectual concerns. The Protestant Reformation, meanwhile, makes individual conscience the decisive locus of the relationship with God.

Three major moments in philosophy follow. Descartes shifts the question of the human being towards the thinking subject. Pascal refuses to reduce the human being to this ego. Hume, finally, argues that all human ideas derive from experience.

Two further perspectives then challenge the central position of this tradition. The first is Western esotericism, studied as a subject of historical inquiry, which reveals another side of modernity alongside rationalism. The second is anthropology, which makes the human being, culture and religion the subjects of scientific study. It opens up debate on cultural relativism and re-examines the secularisation thesis.

By the end of the programme, students are equipped to revisit independently the question posed in the first year—what does it mean to be human?—with an understanding of how Western culture has answered it throughout the centuries.

A PROGRAMME THAT CULTIVATES CRITICAL THINKING

The originality of this Bachelor’s degree lies as much in the diversity of its disciplines as in the way they are brought together. History, philosophy, the arts, religious traditions, literature, anthropology and ancient languages offer different perspectives on the same reality: the human being within history and culture.

Methodology plays an important role. Reading a text, identifying a thesis, formulating a research question, constructing an argument and comparing sources are skills developed progressively from one year to the next. The curriculum is complemented by thematic seminars.

The aim is therefore not only to impart knowledge, but also to foster a genuine capacity for reflection, analysis and contextual understanding.

100% ONLINE, AT YOUR OWN PACE

This Bachelor’s degree builds on Domuni’s extensive experience in online university education. All three years are delivered entirely online and asynchronously through the MyDomuni platform. Learning resources are available at any time and include written course materials, supplementary documents, videos depending on the course, interactive activities and discussion forums. Each student is supported throughout their studies and coursework by an academic adviser.

Each academic year carries 60 ECTS credits. It is designed to be completed over twelve months and may be extended to up to twenty-four months. Students may enrol at any time of the year.

THE HUMANITIES: UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S WORLD

With this Bachelor’s degree, Domuni places its confidence in depth of study and the value of a long-term perspective. The world is undergoing rapid technological, cultural and social transformations. In this context, returning to the great questions of human history seems more necessary than ever. What is a person? What is freedom? How does a society take shape? What place should be given to reason, faith and culture?

The Bachelor’s degree in Humanities invites students to take these questions seriously. It provides them with the historical, philosophical and cultural tools to explore them in depth and, above all, to continue asking them.

→ Discover the Bachelor’s degree in Humanities

→ Enrol at any time of the year by completing the admission form.