Course

Course Summary

Credit Type:

Course

ACE ID:

OOSL-0060

Organization's ID:

PHIL101

Organization:

StraighterLine

Location:

Online

Length:

14 weeks (75 hours)

Dates Offered:

Credit Recommendation & Competencies

Level	Credits (SH)	Subject
Lower-Division Baccalaureate	3	introduction to philosophy

Description

Objective:

The course objective is to be a critical introduction to the field of philosophical inquiry. 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 Eastern philosophies, and postcolonial thought.

Learning Outcomes:

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.
Examine 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.