The primary purpose of this course is to present the elements of philosophy with simplicity and clarity to arouse that sense of wonder that Aristotle says is the beginning of the love of wisdom.
We will begin by trying to understand what philosophy is – its characteristic aims and methods, and how it differs from other subjects. Then, we will spend the rest of the course gaining an introductory overview of the following six different areas of philosophy:
- Philosophy of Religion, where we will ask the question “Does God exist?” and also consider whether it is reasonable to believe without evidence;
- Epistemology, where we’ll consider what our knowledge of the world and ourselves consists of and how we come to have it;
- Metaphysics, where we’ll think through some fundamental conceptual questions about free will and the nature of reality;
- Philosophy of Mind, where we’ll ask questions about what it means for something to have a mind and how minds should be understood and explained;
- Gender and Race: What are they? What do we want them to be? Why do they matter?
- Practical Ethics: What should we do when we must act and make choices that affect others? We will reflect on personal, professional, policy, and social decisions and structures, and how to hold them to ethical scrutiny.