Introduction to Philosophy: Exploring Fundamental Questions
Discover key areas of philosophical inquiry and debate. Explore ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.
Discover key areas of philosophical inquiry and debate. Explore ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to major areas of philosophical research. Led by expert philosophers, it covers fundamental questions in epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, political philosophy, moral philosophy, and metaphysics. Students will explore topics such as the nature of knowledge, the status of scientific theories, the mind-body problem, political obligation, moral judgments, and the concept of free will. The course aims to develop critical thinking skills and introduce students to philosophical methods of inquiry and argumentation.
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What you'll learn
Understand the nature and methods of philosophical inquiry
Explore key debates in epistemology and the nature of knowledge
Analyze different perspectives on moral objectivism, relativism, and emotivism
Examine arguments for and against political obligation and the duty to obey the law
Investigate theories of mind and the relationship between minds, brains, and computers
Evaluate the status of scientific theories and the debate between scientific realism and anti-realism
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
365 Minutes PreRecorded video
18 assignments, peer review
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FullTime access
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There are 14 modules in this course
This course offers a comprehensive introduction to major areas of philosophical inquiry. It covers fundamental questions in epistemology, moral philosophy, political philosophy, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and metaphysics. Each module is led by a different expert philosopher who guides students through key concepts, arguments, and debates in their field. The course aims to develop critical thinking skills, introduce philosophical methods of inquiry, and encourage students to engage with challenging ideas and arguments. Topics include the nature of knowledge, moral objectivism vs. relativism, political obligation, the mind-body problem, scientific realism, and the concept of free will.
What is Philosophy?
Module 1 · 2 Hours to complete
Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive?
Module 2 · 1 Hours to complete
What is Knowledge? And Do We Have Any?
Module 3 · 1 Hours to complete
Week 2 review: Lesson Choices
Module 4 · 50 Minutes to complete
Do We Have an Obligation to Obey the Law?
Module 5 · 1 Hours to complete
Should You Believe What You Hear?
Module 6 · 1 Hours to complete
Week 3 review: Lesson Choices
Module 7 · 50 Minutes to complete
Minds, Brains and Computers
Module 8 · 1 Hours to complete
Are Scientific Theories True?
Module 9 · 1 Hours to complete
Week 4 review: Lesson Choices
Module 10 · 1 Hours to complete
Do We Have Free Will and Does It Matter?
Module 11 · 1 Hours to complete
Time Travel and Philosophy
Module 12 · 1 Hours to complete
Week 5 review: Lesson Choices
Module 13 · 1 Hours to complete
Peer review
Module 14 · 1 Hours to complete
Fee Structure
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Instructors
Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh focusing on mind and cognition.
Dr. Dave Ward is a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, specializing in the philosophy of mind and cognition. His primary philosophical goal is to explore the relationship between perception, thought, and agency. He teaches courses in philosophy, including "Introduction to Philosophy," and offers a version of this course in Chinese (Simplified) titled "哲学导论（中文版）."
Professor of Philosophy specializing in epistemology at UC Irvine and the University of Edinburgh.
Professor Duncan Pritchard FRSE is a prominent philosopher and the Chancellor’s Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine, as well as a professor at the University of Edinburgh. Since joining Edinburgh in 2007 as Chair in Epistemology, he has focused his research on epistemology, authoring several influential works including Epistemic Luck and Scepticism: A Very Short Introduction. He teaches a range of courses such as Intellectual Humility, Introduction to Philosophy, and Philosophy and the Sciences, including a Chinese version of his introductory course.
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4.7 course rating
9,263 ratings
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