Class Notes Index

Unit 1: Introduction - What is Philosophy?

• General Introduction - Philosophy as an academic discipline
  • What is Philosophy? Academic and Etymological Definitions
  • Classroom Lecture: What is Philosophy? (part 1)
  • Classroom Lecture: What is Philosophy? (part 2)
• How Philosophy Began
  • An Overview of Western Intellectual History: A Timeline
  • From Mythos to Logos: The Historical Definition of Philosophy
  • The First Philosophers
  • Classroom Lecture: A Very Brief Overview of Western Intellectual History
  • Classroom Lecture: From Mythos to Logos
  • Classroom Lecture: The First Philosophers (part 1)
  • Classroom Lecture: The First Philosophers (part 2)
• Historical Background to Sokrates: The Rise and Fall of the Athenian Empire:
  • The Persian Wars and the Rise of Athens
  • The Peloponnesian Wars and the Fall of Athens
• The Apologia of Sokrates - Philosophy vs. Sophistry
  • Classroom Lecture: The Apology of Sokrates (part 1)
  • Classroom Lecture: The Apology of Sokrates (part 2)
• John Locke - The Role of Truth in Philosophy
  • Classroom Lecture: John Locke (part 1)
  • Classroom Lecture: John Locke (part 2)
• Russel on Philosophy - The Value of Philosophy in a Scientific Age
  • Classroom Lecture: Bertrand Russell on the Value of Philosophy

Unit 2: Introduction to Epistemology - What does it mean to have knowledge?

• General Introduction
  • Introduction to Epistemology (part 1)
  • Introduction to Epistemology (part 2)
  • Classroom Lecture: Introduction to Epistemology (part 1)
  • Classroom Lecture: Introduction to Epistemology (part 2)
• Platonic Rationalism
• Excerpt from Plato's Republic
  • Classroom Lecture: The Metaphysical Foundations of Plato’s Rationalism (The Republic - part 1)
  • Classroom Lecture: The Metaphysical Foundations of Plato’s Rationalism (The Republic - part 2)
• Excerpt from Plato's Meno
  • Classroom Lecture: Rationalism in the Meno
• The Renaissance and the Rise of Skepticism: Historical Background to Early Modern Epistemology (Outline, Full Script)
  • Part 1 - Social Transformation in the Renaissance
  • Part 2 - The Scientific Revolution
  • Part 3 - The Geographical Revolution
  • Part 4 - The Theological Revolution
• Cartesian Rationalism
  • Classroom Lecture: Introduction to Descartes' Epistemology
  • Classroom Lecture: Meditation 1
  • Classroom Lecture: Meditation 2
  • Classroom Lecture: Meditation 3
  • Classroom Lecture: Descartes’ Proof for God’s Existence
• Lockean Empericism
  • Classroom Lecture: Introduction to Locke
  • Classroom Lecture: Locke on Innate Ideas
  • Classroom Lecture: John Locke on Primary and Secondary Qualities
• Humean Empericism

Unit 3: Introduction to Metaphysics - What’s really real?

• General Introduction
  • - Introduction to Metaphysics
  • Classroom Lecture: Introduction to Metaphysics (part 1)
  • Classroom Lecture: Introduction to Metaphysics (part 2)
  • Classroom Lecture: Introduction to Metaphysics (part 3)
• Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion
  • - Introduction to Philosophy of Religion
  • An Ontological Argument
  • An Ontological Argument
  • A Cosmological Argument
  • Cosmological Arguments
  • A Teleological Argument
  • William Paley’s Teleological Argument
  • David Hume’s Response to the Teleological Argument
  • David Hume’s Objections to the Teleological Argument
• Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind
  • Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
  • Rene Descartes on Substance Dualism
  • Overview of the Mind-Body Problem in Dualism
  • Churchland on the Problem of Mind-Body Dualism

Unit 4: Introduction to Ethics - How should we live?

• General Introduction
  • Introduction to Ethical Theory
• Metaethics (part 1)
• Metaethics (part 2)
  • Introduction to Metaethics (part 1) - Relativism versus Objectivism
  • Introduction to Metaethics (part 2) - Moral Semantics and Moral Agency
• Virtue Morality
  • Aristotle and Virtue Ethics -
• Jeremy Bentham
  • Jeremy Bentham and Utilitarianism -
• JS Mill
• Deontological Morality
  • Immanuel Kant and Deontological Ethics -

Charts and Downloads

• Timeline of Western Intellectual History
• Timeline of Ancient Intellectual History
• Timeline of some Ancient Old World Civilizations
• Philosophy Chart
• Epistemology Chart
• Axiology Chart
• Ethics Chart
• Political Philosophy Chart
• Plato’s Divided Line