Duration
45h Pr
Number of credits
Lecturer
Substitute(s)
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The objective of this course is the acquisition of elementary concepts and principles of political reasoning. Building on numerous examples, it will introduce students to the field of debate and that which distinguishes it from other persuasive registers. The large groups and kinds of arguments will be described and their implementation considered in light of case studies. As much as possible, public players and/or experts and practitioners in the field will be invited to share their experience of debate and how it is adapted to different contexts. The students will moreover be introduced to building an argument and to its written and oral development.
As this is a course in the practice of political argumentation, theoretical and ex cathedra lessons are limited. Instead, many practical exercises are organised during the course sessions, in close collaboration with the teaching team.
A parliamentary deliberation is set up as part of this course. Two groups of students are formed: ministers et deputies. The Ministers draft two decrees, the MPs amend and vote on them. A plenary session is organised in the Walloon Parliament at the end of the delibeeration.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Assessment is carried out as part of a continuous assessment system, designed to measure students' progress throughout the four-month term through their active participation in practical exercises and parliamentary work. This formative and summative approach enables the gradual application of the approaches and skills developed during the course to be assessed.
Assessment is based on the following competencies:
- Engagement: Actively participating in course activities, preparing exercises thoroughly, taking part regularly in discussions, and daring to experiment with new oratorical approaches;
- Self-assessment: Analysing one's own practice, identifying one's strengths and areas for improvement, incorporating individual and group feedback, and using mistakes as a springboard for progress;
- Expressing oneself: Bringing one's words to life, paying attention to one's presence, voice, pace, opening remarks and closing remarks during practical exercises and the parliamentary simulation;
- Analysing: Decoding rhetorical devices, identifying fallacies, confusions, appeals to authority and biases in order to assess the strength of a speech;
- Arguing: Combining a thorough understanding of the subject, attentiveness to the audience and the speaker's sincerity to construct a coherent argument, frame the debate, employ rhetorical devices and refute the opponent without attacking them personally;
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The learning activities and teaching methods are organised as follows:
- Theoretical lectures;
- Practical exercises;
- Drafting two draft decrees and amendments;
- Educational trip;
- Student presentations.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
Face-to-face. Attendance is compulsory. Any unjustified absence will result in the withdrawal of one point from the final grade for each day of absence.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Further information:
Other site(s) used for course materials
Orbi (http://hdl.handle.net/2268/251068)
Further information:
Students are invited to consult the following reference: http://hdl.handle.net/2268/251068.
Recommanded readings :
- Boutin Christophe, Les grands discours du xxe siècle, Paris, Éditions Flammarion, 2009, 367 p.
- Breton Philippe, Convaincre sans manipuler. Apprendre à argumenter, Paris, La Découverte, 2015, 154 p.
- Joule Robert-Vincent et Beauvois Jena-Léon, Petit traité de manipulation à l'usage des honnêtes gens, Grenoble, Presses Universitaires de Grenoble, 2002, 286 p.
- Perelman Chaïm et Olbrechts-Tyteca, Traité de l'argumentation, Bruxelles, Éditions de l'Université de Bruxelles, 2008, 740 p.
- Plantin Christian, Dictionnaire de l'argumentation. Une introduction aux études d'argumentation, Lyon, ENS éditions, 2016, 634 p.
- Viktorovitch Clément, Le pouvoir rhétorique. Apprendre à convaincre et à décrypter les discours, Paris, Seuil, 2021, 480 p.
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Exam(s) in session
All sessions combined: Face-to-face, written assessment AND oral assessment.
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Assessment is carried out as part of a continuous assessment system, designed to measure students' progress throughout the four-month term through their active participation in practical exercises and parliamentary work. This formative and summative approach enables the gradual application of the approaches and skills developed during the course to be assessed.
Assessment is based on the following competencies:
- Engagement: Actively participating in course activities, preparing exercises thoroughly, taking part regularly in discussions, and having the confidence to experiment with new public-speaking approaches;
- Self-assessment: Analysing one's own practice, identifying one's strengths and areas for improvement, incorporating individual and group feedback, and using mistakes as a springboard for progress;
- Expressing oneself: Delivering one's speech with conviction, paying attention to one's presence, voice, pace, opening remarks and closing remarks during practical exercises and the parliamentary simulation;
- Analyse: Decode rhetorical devices, identify fallacies, confusions, appeals to authority and biases in order to assess the soundness of an argument;
- Argue: Combine rigour in the subject matter, attentiveness to the audience and the speaker's sincerity to construct a coherent thesis, frame the debate, employ rhetorical devices and refute the opponent without attacking them personally;
- Writing: Produce structured normative and political texts (such as decrees or amendments), set out a clear argumentative strategy in writing, and organise one's thoughts logically before presenting them orally.
For the second session, please contact the lecturer.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The course holds each year.
The parliamentary simulation takes place at the Walloon Parliament (Namur) as part of an educational trip.
Contacts
During the 2025-2026 academic year, the course is taught by Manon Creeten.
Here are her contact details:
Email: manon.creeten@uliege.be
***
I am on campus every day. Please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange a meeting. You can contact me by email as I reply promptly. Where I feel a question warrants a collective response, I will address it during the next lecture.
Here are my contact details:
Manon Creeten
Senior Lecturer,
PhD Research-Assistant
Institute of Public Decision-Making
Faculty of Law, Political Science and Criminology
Office 0/1 (Seminar 1) - B31 - Sart-Tilman University Campus
Course coordinator:
Prof. Dr Geoffrey Grandjean
Full Professor
Association of one or more MOOCs
There is no MOOC associated with this course.