Introduction to Philosophy

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. We’ll begin by trying to understand what philosophy is – what are its characteristic aims and methods, and how does it differ from other subjects? Then we’ll spend the rest of the course gaining an introductory overview of several different areas of philosophy. Topics you’ll learn about will include:

Epistemology, where we’ll consider what our knowledge of the world and ourselves consists in, and how we come to have it;

Philosophy of science, where we’ll investigate foundational conceptual issues in scientific research and practice;

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;

Political Philosophy, where we’ll investigate whether we have an obligation to obey the law;

Moral Philosophy, where we’ll attempt to understand the nature of our moral judgements and reactions – whether they aim at some objective moral truth, or are mere personal or cultural preferences, and;

Metaphysics, where we’ll think through some fundamental conceptual questions about free will and the nature of reality.

The development of this MOOC has been led by the University of Edinburgh’s Eidyn research centre.

To accompany ‘Introduction to Philosophy’, we are pleased to announce a tie-in book from Routledge entitled ‘Philosophy for Everyone’. This course companion to the ‘Introduction to Philosophy’ course was written by the Edinburgh Philosophy team expressly with the needs of MOOC students in mind. ‘Philosophy for Everyone’ contains clear and user-friendly chapters, chapter summaries, glossary, study questions, suggestions for further reading and guides to online resources. Please click “Start Here” and navigate to the “Optional Reading” page for more information.

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Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
What is Philosophy?
Week 2
Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive?
What is Knowledge? And Do We Have Any?
Week 2 review: Lesson Choices
Week 3
Do We Have an Obligation to Obey the Law?
Should You Believe What You Hear?
Week 3 review: Lesson Choices
Week 4
Minds, Brains and Computers
Are Scientific Theories True?
Week 4 review: Lesson Choices
Week 5
Do We Have Free Will and Does It Matter?
Time Travel and Philosophy
Week 5 review: Lesson Choices
Peer review

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

Give all my thanks to the professors in Univerity of Edinburgh. I didn't realize I like Philosophy this much until I got into this course. I will continue learning and reading about Philosophy.

Clear, complete, rigorous, user friendly, open to different levels of engagement, great and wide extra materials and peer discussion, covers the Big Questions and the mains ways to focus them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course and find that it encouragingly sets some directions, and of course, raises my excitement for further study into some of the different fields of philosophy. Thank you.

Thank you for this interesting course! I particularly liked the questions asked (both practice questions and quiz). It makes us think critically and not just stop with understanding the concepts.