Explore philosophy introductions for knowledge, minds, reality, and argument, with advice on close reading, fair interpretation, and developing a reasoned response.
10 learning resources in this collection
Philosophy examines questions and the arguments offered in response. An introductory survey helps you recognize different areas while practicing careful reasoning. Progress can mean clarifying a question even when you do not settle it.
Read slowly enough to identify premises and conclusions. Give a position its strongest fair interpretation before criticizing it. A survey provides orientation rather than mastery of every debate it introduces.
Write a short argument for a view you initially reject. Identify the premise you would challenge and explain why that challenge affects the conclusion.
Coursera · University of Pennsylvania — Susan Sauvé Meyer
Penn introduces Aristotle’s categories, natural philosophy and ethics before comparing Epicurean and Stoic approaches to philosophical life.
Coursera · University of Pennsylvania — Susan Sauvé Meyer
Penn traces early Greek philosophy into Plato’s discussions of virtue, justice, reality and goodness through a reading-intensive course.
Coursera · Sungkyunkwan University — SO JEONG PARK
Sungkyunkwan University introduces Korean philosophical debates through culture, language, moral emotions and cross-cultural comparisons.
Coursera · University of Edinburgh
A broad introduction to philosophical questions about knowledge, minds, morality, science, politics, free will, and reality.
Coursera · The University of Edinburgh — Professor Michela Massimi
Examine consciousness, intelligent machines, evolution and embodied cognition through Edinburgh’s introduction to cognitive-science philosophy.
Coursera · The University of Edinburgh — Professor Michela Massimi
Explore scientific knowledge, cosmology, dark matter and multiverse arguments in Edinburgh’s philosophy-of-physical-sciences introduction.
Coursera · University of Pennsylvania — Michael Weisberg
Penn examines scientific methods, objectivity and values, asking how experiments, observations and models can support scientific knowledge.
Coursera · The University of Edinburgh — Dr Orestis Palermos
Explore disagreement, the philosophy of mind, religious hiddenness and intellectual virtues in Edinburgh’s philosophy-and-religion course.
Coursera · The University of Edinburgh — Dr Mog Stapleton
Edinburgh compares religious and scientific perspectives on origins, Buddhism, evolution, suffering and accounts of human uniqueness.
Coursera · The University of Edinburgh — Dr J Adam Carter
Edinburgh examines free will, scientific truth, evolution and the relationship between scientific explanations and philosophical questions.