Role, Place and Importance of the Discipline “Philosophy” in University Education

The status of philosophy as an integral part of the culture of mankind is a sufficient basis for including it in the unspoken list of basic disciplines required to be studied at a university, in order to familiarize students with the basic principles of the universe and classical ideas about the place and role of man in the world. For many centuries, philosophy was considered the foremother of all sciences, therefore, the most common strategy of a university philosophy course is characterized by a bias towards the history of this science, which contributes to the formation of a certain body of knowledge necessary to demonstrate one’s own erudition, but does not have a special impact on the practical activities of the individual. That is why the author of the article considered it necessary to raise the question of changing the view on the place and significance of this discipline in the educational process of a university in conditions when the competency-based approach is proclaimed one of the fundamental ones, and philosophy is the best suited for the formation of critical thinking competencies and skills in analyzing the phenomena of the newest era. The purpose of this article is to identify the problem field associated with the task of philosophy as a science that contributes to the formation of thinking practices necessary for a university graduate to determine a personal attitude to the key issues of our time. The object of study is philosophy as a university discipline. The research methodology is based on general scientific methodological principles. Scientific novelty. Having examined the existing strategies for teaching philosophy at the university, the author argues for the legitimacy of maintaining the discipline in the university curriculum, subject to improving the methodology of its teaching, taking into account modern realities and updating the content of public demand.