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Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL101 | 3 Credits
Introduction to Philosophy is a first step towards understanding the world, knowledge, and existence as a whole. In this course, you will examine the history of Western thought — from Greek philosophy to the present — and dive into different philosophical topics.
Professor: Dr. G
About This Course
What You’ll Learn
The Introduction to Philosophy online course is critical in helping you step into the field of philosophical inquiry. After defining philosophy and identifying the major fields of philosophical study, our Intro to Philosophy course examines the history of Western thought, from the famous Greek philosophers up to the cutting-edge intellectuals of today.
- Define and explain what philosophy is; describe the major branches of philosophical inquiry and their key questions.
- Engage in the activity of philosophizing; present, analyze, and evaluate philosophical ideas in writing.
- Discuss the main ideas of ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary philosophy.
- Examine the approaches of major philosophers to metaphysical problems.
- Analyze and evaluate the views of major philosophical thinkers on the nature of knowledge.
- Analyze and evaluate the ethical theories of influential philosophers.
- Analyze and evaluate the influential approaches to political philosophy.
- Examine influential arguments regarding the existence of God.
- Examine the major themes and arguments of feminist philosophy.
- Analyze the key tenets of postcolonial thought in Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
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WANT US TO CHECK?Course Details
This course is a critical introduction to the discipline of philosophy. After defining philosophy and identifying the major fields of philosophical study, the course examines the history of Western intellectual thought, from the famous Greek philosophers up to the cutting-edge intellectuals of today. Along the way, the course delves into various thematic topics, including metaphysics, epistemology, free will and determinism, evil and the existence of God, personal identity, ethical values, and political philosophy. The course concludes with an analysis of different perspectives, including feminist philosophy and postcolonial thought.
ACE-Recommended
ACE Code:
OOSL-0060
Flexible Schedule
21-day Average Course Completion
Transferred 4,300 times
$4,800,000 Saved on Tuition
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites to take Introduction to Philosophy.
Course Text
The required eTextbook for this course is included with your course purchase at no additional cost.
- Moore, Brooke Noel and Kenneth Bruder. Philosophy: The Power of Ideas, 11th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2023. ISBN: 9781264296118
Course Checkpoints
Introduction to Philosophy and Philosophical Reasoning
- What Is Philosophy?
- Philosophic Questions
- Pressing or Fundamental
- Misconceptions
- Tool Kit
- Divisions of Philosophy
- The Benefits of Philosophy
The Pre-Socratics
- The Milesians
- Pythagoras
- Heraclitus and Parmenides
- Empedocles and Anaxagoras
- The Atomists
Socrates and Plato
- Socrates
- Plato
Aristotle
- What Is It to Be?
- Actuality and Possibility
- Essence and Existence
- Ten Basic Categories
- The Three Souls
- Aristotle and The Theory of Forms
- Aristotle's Theory of Knowledge
- Logic
Hellenistic and Medieval Philosophy
- Metaphysics in the Roman Empire
- The Rise of Christianity
- The Middle Ages and Aquinas
Early Modern Metaphysics and Epistemology
- Descartes and Dualism
- Hobbes and Materialism
- The Alternate Views of Conway, Spinoza, and Leibniz
- The Idealism of Locke and Berkeley
The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
- David Hume
- Immanuel Kant
- The Nineteenth Century
The Twentieth Centuries: The Continental Tradition
- Brief Historical Overview of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
- Existentialism
- Phenomenology
- The Era of Suspicion
The Twentieth Century: The Pragmatic and Analytic Traditions
- Pragmatism
- Analytic Philosophy
- Quine, Davidson, and Kripke
- Ontology
Moral Philosophy
- Skepticism, Relativism, and Subjectivism
- Egoism
- Hedonism
- The Five Main Ethical Frameworks
- The Early Greeks
- Epicureanism and Stoicism
- Christianizing Ethics
- Hobbes and Hume
- Kant
- The Utilitarians
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Political Philosophy
- Plato and Aristotle
- Natural Law Theory and Contractarian Theory
- Two Other Contractarian Theorists
- U.S. Constitutional Theory--Applied Philosophy
- Classic Liberalism and Marxism
Philosophy and Belief in God
- Two Christian Greats
- Mysticism
- Seventeenth Century Perspectives
- Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Perspectives
- More Recent Perspectives
Feminist Philosophy
- The First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Waves
- Analytic Feminist Philosophy
- Continental Feminist Philosophy
- Feminist Moral Theory
- Sexism and Language
- Feminist Epistemology
- Two Contemporary American Feminist Philosophers
- French Feminist Philosophy and Psychoanalytical Theory
- Feminist Perspectives on Important Philosophers
Postcolonial Thought; "Philosophy and Disinformation"
- Historical Background
- Africa
- The Americas
- South Asia
Assignments & Grading
Your score provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
Assignments for this course include:
- 15 Reflective Responses
- 2 Essays
- 3 Graded Exams
What You’ll Need
- A reliable computer or laptop
- Stable internet connection
- Web browser
- Basic computer skills
- Any required course materials
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Course Professor
Dr. G
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Students who enrolled also took:
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Avg Days to Complete: 29
3 credits
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Your Career in Critical Thinking & Culture
Humanities courses explore thought and culture — think everything from literature to history, philosophy to art, and film to cultural studies. These courses help you understand creative and intellectual arts through a fresh lens and foster a deeper appreciation for the richness of human expression and civilization.
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How this course sets you up for success:
Introduction to Philosophy will drive you to examine the history of Western thought and shape your framework of thought. Whether you go on to work in the humanities or another field, these critical thinking skills can open doors to new possibilities.
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