Philosophy 101
This guide organizes LearnLiberty videos around an introductory philosophy curriculum of concepts and major thinkers. The videos explain challenging philosophy concepts and can support your learning in your courses or independent study. If you are a professor, this guide helps identify videos for your courses or can serve as a reference guide for students.
The word “philosophy” means “love of wisdom.” Within the university environment, philosophy includes the study of value theory, metaphysics, epistemology, and logic. Thus, philosophers might ask the following questions: What is right and wrong? What is the nature of existence? How do we know the answer to either of these questions? What is a compelling argument to support the answer to any of these questions?
Introduction
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1. Logic
- Arguments and their components
- Induction and deduction
- Validity, truth, soundness, strength, and cogency
- Logical fallacies
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2. Key Areas/Concepts in Philosophy
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Metaphysics
- Nature of reality/ontology
- Mind-body relationship
- Free will and determinism
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Epistemology
- Knowledge (theories of)
- Skepticism
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Ethics/moral philosophy
- Theories of human nature
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Normative theories
- Virtue ethics
- Utilitarianism
- Kantianism/deontological ethics
- The highest good or “the good”
- Justice
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Political Philosophy
- Form of government/what is a state
- Social justice and rights
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Varieties of approaches to political philosophy
- Anarchism
- Totalitarianism
- Libertarianism
- Collectivism
- Interventionism
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Metaphysics
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3. Key thinkers
- Aenesidemus (Pyrrhonism)
- Aristotle
- Ayer, A. J.
- Bentham, Jeremy
- Berkeley, George
- Descartes, René
- Hobbes, Thomas
- Hume, David
- Kant, Immanuel
- Locke, John
- Mill, John Stuart
- Moore, G. E.
- Nozick, Robert
- Plato
- Rawls, John
- Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
- Sartre, Jean-Paul
