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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Philosophy by The University of Edinburgh

4.7
stars
9,091 ratings

About the Course

This course will introduce you to some of the main areas of research in contemporary philosophy. Each module a different philosopher will talk you through some of the most important questions and issues in their area of expertise. We’ll begin by trying to understand what philosophy is – what are its characteristic aims and methods, and how does it differ from other subjects? Then we’ll spend the rest of the course gaining an introductory overview of several different areas of philosophy. Topics you’ll learn about will include: Epistemology, where we’ll consider what our knowledge of the world and ourselves consists in, and how we come to have it; Philosophy of science, where we’ll investigate foundational conceptual issues in scientific research and practice; Philosophy of Mind, where we’ll ask questions about what it means for something to have a mind, and how minds should be understood and explained; Political Philosophy, where we'll investigate whether we have an obligation to obey the law; Moral Philosophy, where we’ll attempt to understand the nature of our moral judgements and reactions – whether they aim at some objective moral truth, or are mere personal or cultural preferences, and; Metaphysics, where we’ll think through some fundamental conceptual questions about free will and the nature of reality. The development of this MOOC has been led by the University of Edinburgh's Eidyn research centre. To accompany 'Introduction to Philosophy', we are pleased to announce a tie-in book from Routledge entitled 'Philosophy for Everyone'. This course companion to the 'Introduction to Philosophy' course was written by the Edinburgh Philosophy team expressly with the needs of MOOC students in mind. 'Philosophy for Everyone' contains clear and user-friendly chapters, chapter summaries, glossary, study questions, suggestions for further reading and guides to online resources. Please click "Start Here" and navigate to the "Optional Reading" page for more information....

Top reviews

LT

Sep 1, 2015

I thoroughly enjoyed this course and find that it encouragingly sets some directions, and of course, raises my excitement for further study into some of the different fields of philosophy. Thank you.

IH

Feb 21, 2023

I already had a Bachelor's in Philosophy degree. But, this course has the potential to comprehensively elaborate on the aspects that were lacking and that I was unable to comprehend in a unique way.

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576 - 600 of 2,120 Reviews for Introduction to Philosophy

By Gabriel R

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Sep 13, 2015

Really enjoyed the methodology and the subjects. For me that didn't know anything about the topic, it opened up a whole new world.

By JUAN M O R

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Jun 14, 2023

teachers are well prepared and knowledgeable, i fell happy.

Congratulations from Torreón Coahuila, México

Juan Manuel Ordaz Ramírez

By thomas h

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Jun 19, 2016

Brilliant course. Not a simple 'history of philosophy' this course jumps into some very interesting topics and engages you fully.

By Shaurya

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Feb 17, 2022

A well curated course with quizes which accurately judges how well one has absorbed the information. Thank you uni of edinburgh!

By ESRA O

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May 14, 2020

It's really a satisfying course for me.I enjoyed the topics and the lecturers summarized most of the complicated topics clearly.

By Subramanian V

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Oct 4, 2015

Very good introductory course. Provides an overview of the different philosophical topics ranging from knowledge to time travel.

By Samuel G

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Jun 19, 2022

Dynamic, very intuitive and interesting, great teachers and a methodological approach very well done, in short, a great course!

By Ravina A N

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Jan 24, 2022

The material taught is easy to understand, learning in this course is very fun and enough to add basic insight into philosophy.

By Carlos Z

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Jan 7, 2021

es un curso muy completo para tener una prespectiva diferente de como hercese preguntas sobre el mundo en que vivimos gracias

By Michalis O

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Apr 30, 2017

Intriguing from the very first lecture to even all the internal and external assignments attached by the professors. Thank you!

By Oscar N C

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Feb 24, 2023

Very grateful for the excellent didactics of the course that makes an introduction to philosophy in a basic, but rigorous way.

By Li T M

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Sep 20, 2021

Philosophy always represents a mysterious subject for me, but in this course I have learned a great deal of the fundamentals.

By Jorge F

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Dec 12, 2020

Un curso muy completo con los diferentes puntos de vista de los filosofos, en apropiado orden para realizar un mejor analisis.

By ROBERTO T R

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Aug 2, 2020

I really think that this is a excellent course fo introduction to philosophy. I have learned a lot of some interesting topycs.

By Francisco M

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Jul 8, 2020

Great course. Is not a classical and sometimes, boring study of philosophy. The themes of the course are important and modern.

By ADAN E S

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Jun 21, 2017

Excelente Curso!

No duden en inscribirse, en verdad, la filosofía es una herramienta indispensable para entender nuestro mundo.

By URIEL I C M

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Mar 10, 2024

muy bueno, me ayudo a entender cisas que no sabia, tambien a pensar mas sobre mis acciones y saber cual es la mejor desicion

By Марат Б

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Dec 2, 2021

Hi all! Thank you so much for organising and preparing the course. For me as an evangelical Christian, it was very important.

By Abel B

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Dec 12, 2020

Informative, educational, challenging, well illustrated and open to debate.

Thank you for the opportunity of being part of it.

By Hugo V

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Jun 8, 2020

Definitely a must. Very good teachers that engage you in topics that have been around and still "haunt" our minds to this day

By Andrey M

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Feb 28, 2016

Greatly enjoyed this introduction to philosophy - appropriately brief, but insightful, engaging, broad and thought provoking!

By Samuel L

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Dec 30, 2023

I loved this course. Hats off to the professors. Great study material. Valuable references. I gained a lot from this course.

By Walter O

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Oct 16, 2021

very inspiring thoughts brought foward

most impressive how reasoning made ages ago still is relevant today maybe even more so

By Nicole T

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Mar 21, 2021

Very informative, well structured course. I really enjoyed listening to the different instructors for the different modules.

By Valentina B S

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May 17, 2020

I learned a lot, the teachers were cool and explained great. I never thought I'd have so much fun while learning philosophy.