Intro to Philosophy

Problems of Philosophy: The aim of this course is to introduce some of the major topics and methods of analytic philosohpy. As the course goes on, the questions we consider will become more explanatorily deep. It beings with questions about what we should do (Normative Ethics). We then move to questions about how we can even do anything at all (Free Will). We then consider how we might know about any of this (Epistemology). Finally we ask what we even are and what it means for us to be at all (Mind and Personal Identity). This course will not assume any background in philosophy. For most students, it will be a challenging, though hopefully worthwhile, course. The course will push you to understand and communicate clearly about material that is often difficult to understand. Along with introducing you to analytic philosophy, this course will help students become better skilled in understanding and intelligently questioning sophisticated arguments, which can come in handy in a large number of pursuits.