An introduction to philosophy through topics found in classical and contemporary philosophical writings, such as the nature of truth and knowledge, mind and body, freedom and determinism, right and wrong, and the existence of God. Course content varies from instructor to instructor.
Online courses include philosophy of the mind, social and political philosophy, history of ethics, and contemporary analytic philosophy. Distance learners can choose from multiple start dates throughout the year, which can make it easier to fit this program into their busy schedules.
Introduction to Philosophy
It teaches critical thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis; it uses these to understand the language we use to describe the world, and our place within it. Different areas of philosophy are distinguished by the questions they ask.
Philosophy is such an individual subject, and each philosopher will collect their own sets of knowledge that resonate with them the most:metaphysics and epistemology.value theory.science, logic, and mathematics.history of philosophy.philosophical tradition.
Readings for philosophy courses are generally not long, but they are difficult and challenging. You cannot expect to go through an assigned reading once and have an adequate grasp of it. Some students seem to thrive on the painstaking study required, while others simply don't have the patience for it.
These highly critical, analytical, and argumentative skills that are developed often lead students to pursue legal studies, MBA programs, or seminaries. Jobs for philosophy majors include a lawyer, systems analyst, cultural affairs officer, technical writer, and a critic.
An introductory philosophy course that concentrates on concepts and issues, such as the nature of value, duty, right and wrong, the good life, human rights, social justice, and applications to selected problems of personal and social behavior. Topics may include liberty and its limitations, civil disobedience, abortion, affirmative action, capital punishment, terrorism and the morality of war, animal rights and environmental ethics.
An introduction to philosophy through topics found in classical and contemporary philosophical writings, such as the nature of truth and knowledge, mind and body, freedom and determinism, right and wrong, and the existence of God. Course content varies from instructor to instructor. Specific course descriptions will be available in the department prior to registration.
Materialism, rather than solving the problem of mind, consciousness and intentionality , has spawned numerous philosophical perplexities. This course will examine a variety of philosophical problems associated with contemporary models of the mind (mind/body dualism; mind/brain identity theories; behaviorism; functionalism and artificial intelligence; eliminative naturalism and folk psychology; biological naturalism). The course will also look at contemporary philosophical accounts of personhood and personal identity, particularly narrative accounts of the self. Readings will typically include David Chalmers, Daniel Dennett, Owen Flanagan, Derek Parfit, Marya Schechtman, John Searle, Galen Strawson, and Kathleen Wilkes.
For those thinkers whose work is associated with the philosophical tradition of existentialism, the understanding of human existence represents a singular gateway to the understanding of being, the general object of the study of metaphysics.
This course introduces and explores the main principles and methods of Critical Thinking: distinguishing between good and bad arguments; identifying common fallacies; developing strong and persuasive arguments; the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning; constructing logical proofs; the nature of scientific, moral, and legal reasoning; evaluating polls and statistical hypotheses; understanding probability; deciding how to act under uncertainty. Students will apply these principles and methods to numerous academic and 'everyday' contexts, including journals, the print press, blogs, political rhetoric, advertising and documentaries. We will regularly reflect upon more broadly philosophical matters related to Critical Thinking - such as the nature of truth and objectivity and the distinction between science and pseudo-science - and examine a number of intriguing philosophical paradoxes. Students will improve their skills in writing clear and compelling argumentative papers and critically analyzing the writings of others. Course work includes reading, class discussion, regular homework assignments, quizzes, and short argumentative essays.#N#Frequency: Every year.
PHIL 201 - Modern Philosophy. A study of the 17th and 18th century philosophers, including the Empiricists, Rationalists, and Kant. The course considers issues regarding skepticism, justification, freedom of the will, personal identity, perception and the existence of God. Frequency: Every year.
Topics include: science vs. pseudoscience, scientific explanation, scientific revolutions, the philosophy of space and time, the theory of evolution, theories of confirmation , objectivity in science, and realism vs. relativism.
What often motivates the study of philosophy is not merely the answers or arguments themselves but whether or not the arguments are good and the answers are true. Moreover, many of the questions and issues in the various areas of philosophy overlap and in some cases even converge.
Metaphysics. At its core the study of metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, of what exists in the world, what it is like, and how it is ordered. In metaphysics philosophers wrestle with such questions as:
Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It is primarily concerned with what we can know about the world and how we can know it. Typical questions of concern in epistemology are: 1 What is knowledge? 2 Do we know anything at all? 3 How do we know what we know? 4 Can we be justified in claiming to know certain things?
The study of ethics often concerns what we ought to do and what it would be best to do. In struggling with this issue, larger questions about what is good and right arise. So, the ethicist attempts to answer such questions as:
Epistemology . Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It is primarily concerned with what we can know about the world and how we can know it. Typical questions of concern in epistemology are:
Philosophy is the study of the nature of existence, knowledge, truth and ethics. It involves consideration of the most fundamental questions about who we are, and examines philosophical thought across the breadth of history right up to the present day. It hones your ability to reason effectively and form coherent arguments, to write persuasively, ...
Modules can include logic, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, ethics, philosophy of science and political philosophy. Many modules are heavily essay-based, which can lead to independent research and dissertations towards the end of your degree. Philosophy is often classed as a humanities degree, although there are strands ...
The skills learned on a philosophy degree, including clear and analytical thinking, persuasive writing and speaking, innovative questioning and effective reasoning, give a solid foundation for entering the workforce and are beneficial in careers that require problem-solving and assessing information from various angles.
Director Wes Anderson studied it at the University of Texas and actor Ricky Gervais, graduated from University College London with a degree in philosophy. Other famous philosophy graduates include novelist Dame Iris Murdoch, who studied at the University of Cambridge; writer and political activist Simone de Beauvoir, ...
Philosophy is offered as a subject at most universities. Students who like reading, analysis and forming arguments might enjoy undergraduate philosophy. No specific subjects are necessary to pursue it at university, but you may find English, a science subject, mathematics or a language helpful. Your lecturers will give you a thorough introduction ...
This course will introduce you to some of the main areas of research in contemporary philosophy. Each module a different philosopher will talk you through some of the most important questions and issues in their area of expertise.
Since 1583 the University of Edinburgh has been at the forefront of innovation in education and research. Ranked 20th in the world, we have been an international leader in online learning since our first online degree launched in 2005.
Philosophy is a discipline that studies the writing of philosophers from all over the world, both ancient and contemporary. Students who can read other languages and who bring in new and creative perspectives to classroom conversation are likely to excel.
Most philosophy departments require students in their final semester to complete a capstone course which focuses on a particular philosophy or philosopher, in-depth, and is often considered to be the most rigorous course offered by the department. Students do more than just write during their philosophy degree.
The reason for this is because most people do not know what philosophers do or what to expect when studying philosophy. It is not until their first philosophy course that students realize they have an interest in the field.
In the US, the philosophy major is usually a four-year major. Although the degree will likely take four years to finish, it is common for philosophy departments to encourage undergraduate philosophy majors to pursue a second major. Philosophy is often an excellent degree field in which to dual major because although the courses are rigorous, ...
Most minors in most US schools require that the student complete, with a grade of a "C" or higher, at least five upper level courses in the department offering the minor. The minor courses are alongside the courses for the student's major. It is generally wise to choose a minor that will assist the student in applying his or her philosophy degree ...
Most philosophy courses are structured so students will be required to produce at least one large paper at the end of the course. It is not unusual for the students to be required to produce both a mid-course paper and a final paper. Some philosophy courses also require that the students pass exams throughout the course.
The study of philosophy provides answers to some of the world’s most existential questions revolving around right and wrong, truth and falsehood, the meaning of life, and the nature of human beings and the reality in which they live. Philosophy encourages critical and systematic thinking, explores core issues of intellectual tradition, ...
Philosophy encourages critical and systematic thinking, explores core issues of intellectual tradition, and offers great preparation for many professional occupations if you choose to become a philosophy major.
Philosophy majors are commonly found working for non-profit organizations where they can pursue their interest in ethics and social or political philosophy and practice their writing and speaking skills. The average annual salary for a non-profit worker is approximately $47,000.
The average annual salary for a health care professional with a philosophy degree is approximately $73,305.
Professor. Philosophy professors are a popular career choice for philosophy majors. This includes giving lectures and presentations on specialized topics to students in undergrad and graduate college, as well as writing and co-writing scholarly journals.
As a philosophy major, it is crucial to develop transferable skills. Learning these skills will not only help you grow as a professional, but they will help those around you gain a better and more beneficial understanding. The transferrable skills are as follows:
Philosophers communicate with their colleagues and other fellow philosophers to discuss important topics, ask/answer questions about research, and to organize conferences. Philosophy professors also spend a large amount of time preparing for class lectures which they give in front of hundreds of students every week.
Training in the practice of philosophy means training in: Stating your own views as clearly and precisely as possible. Seeking out the best possible arguments against your own views. Seeking out the full range of alternatives to your own views that a reasonable person might take seriously.
The study of philosophy develops many skills, including: • critical thinking. • evaluation of chains of reasoning. • construction of chains of reasoning. • consideration of many different perspectives on a single subject. • clear written communication on complex topics.
Though it is often over looked for this purpose, philosophy is also an excellent pre-med major. Here at Chapel Hill, the requirements of the philosophy major have a great deal of flexibility built into them, making it relatively easy to fit in all the science courses you need to take as a pre-med.
Law schools know that philosophy is one of the best pre-law majors. The skills you develop while taking philosophy courses – such as careful, critical writing about detailed arguments – are the very ones you will need in law school.
It’s true that there is no consensus, even among professional philosophers , on the correct answers to most of the basic problems of philosophy (e.g., what makes some actions morally right and others wrong? do we have free will? what is reality ultimately made out of? is there a god? can the legitimacy of the authority of the state be established, and if so then how? is mathematics something humans discovered or something humans invented?), but that doesn’t mean that philosophy doesn’t make progress, and it doesn’t mean that we can’t learn by studying other philosophers. What we learn by studying the field of philosophy includes:
A recent issue of a journal published by the American Medical School Association indicates that a very high proportion of philosophy majors applying to medical schools have been accepte d. See it here. You may also see this article about a major medical school that is very friendly to humanities majors.
Philosophy is a way of thinking about certain subjects such as ethics, thought, existence, time, meaning and value. That 'way of thinking' involves 4 Rs: r esponsiveness, r eflection, r eason and r e-evaluation. The aim is to deepen understanding.
However, it is important, for anyone writing or training about doing philosophy, first of all to spell out what they mean by it so that the reader has some idea about what kind of philosophy they will encounter and , when training people to facilitate philosophy, to provide criteria.
Types of questions we explore 1 Who should be in charge? How should we decide? 2 What is fairness? 3 What is responsibility? 4 What is beauty? Who decides? 5 Are some things absolutely wrong or right, or is it all relative? 6 Is zero a number? 7 What is freedom? 8 Would you like to live forever if you could? 9 Are people of equal value?