Topic outline

  • General

    Philosophy

    Please note: for the remainder of the course, starting November 5th, we will be having the classes on campus. Wednesday lectures will be in the Computer Science Department hall CS T6 (R030T6 A136). Friday lectures will be in the TUAS House room TU 7 (R0371200-1201 TU7). If you have a pressing reason of needing to participate online, please let us know in advance. Do NOT come to class if you have any flu-like symptoms or other illnesses.

    Why are we here? What is the good life? How does the mind work? What exists and what is just imaginary? These are questions that philosophy has sought to find answers to. Some suggested answers are surprising, some useful and many transformative. Often, answers cannot be found, but only more questions, which is when things really get interesting.

    The course is intended for students who want to understand and to be able to practice philosophical thinking. Throughout the course, basic ideas and concepts of philosophical thinking are introduced and discussed. The emphasis is not on historical scholarship but rather in getting familiar with the conceptual tools needed to be able to practice and apply philosophical thinking in everyday life.

    Participation on the course requires no prior studies in philosophy.

    The course aims to:

    • Inspire philosophical thinking in everyday life.
    • Introduce conceptual tools and methods to practice philosophical thinking.
    • Introduce methods and criteria for evaluating thinking and argumentation.
    • Explore various opportunities to engage in philosophical thinking.

    Structure

    The course consists of 1.5 hour lecture sessions each organized around a pre-defined philosophical topic. During the lecture sessions, the topics are presented and discussed. Each lecture will also involve relevant pre-reading materials the students are expected to read prior to the lecture in question. 

    PLEASE NOTE: Given the present situation, the course will at least for now be taught through Zoom. The link for the sessions is here:

    The lectures are structured around the following themes:

    What Is Philosophy I? (15.9.2021)

    A general introduction to and discussion on what philosophy is with a brief historical overview.

    What Is Philosophy II? (17.9.2021)

    Continued discussion on themes introduced in the first lecture.

    What Is the Mind? (24.9.2021)

    A review and discussion of questions concerning the nature of the human mind.

    How Language Works? (29.9.2021)

    Discussion on language, logic and the relationship between the two.

    What Can We Know? (1.10.2021)

    A review and discussion of general questions in epistemology, or the theories of knowledge.

    What Exists and What Is Imaginary? (6.10.2021)

    Discussion on metaphysics, or the theories of what there is.

    Question Everything? (8.10.2021)

    Discussion on validity of inquiry, media and information and the use of logic and argumentation to state a case and to critique.

    How Science Works (15.10.2021)

    An overview of the philosophy of science and the tools and methods of carrying out inquiry.

    What Is Good and What Is Evil? (5.11.2021)

    A review and discussion of basic questions of ethics and some conceptual tools on how to address them.

    What Is Beautiful? (10.11.2021)

    Review of aesthetics and discussion on the interaces between the aesthetic, the ethic and epistemology.

    What Is A Good Life? (12.11.2021)

    A discussion on how to conceptualize, evaluate and enact the good life. Guest lecture by Frank Martela.

    How to Live a Good Life? (17.11.2021)

    A more practically-oriented workshop on tools that can help live a good life.

    Philosophy for Leaders (19.11.2021)

    A discussion on how every great leader is in fact a philosopher and how to apply philosophical tools to leadership challenges.

    Philosophy in Practice (26.11.2020)

    A discussion on how to apply the concepts, tools and methods discussed throughout the course in everyday life.

    Learning Outcomes

    The main goal of the course is to help students become conversant in often difficult, complex and hard to grasp philosophical questions about identity, thinking, perception, the nature of the world we live in, methods and practices of inquiry and the nature of a good life.

    More specifically, the course addresses themes related to overall philosophy, philosophy of language and the mind, epistemology and metaphysics, philosophy of science, ethics and applied philosophy. The goal is to give the students a grasp of a selection of central concepts and ideas in these fields to build a basis for carrying out philosophical thought in their everyday lives. 


    Assessment Methods and Criteria

    Passing of the course will require the completion of the following:

    • Learning diary of the lectures.
    • A short essay (2–3 pages) on a book or philosophical essay chosen during the course.
    • A long essay (5–7 pages) developing on a personally relevant philosophical idea.
    • Active participation in the discussion in class.

    The essays will be graded between 0–5. The overall course grade will be determined mainly by the two essays, with emphasis on the long essay. Level of participation in class can have an impact on the final course grade.

    Criteria for grading the essays are the following:

    • clear presentation of the chosen topic
    • logical structure of argumentation and writing
    • insightful use of reference material
    • ability to reflect the chosen topic from different perspectives

    A grade 5 from the assignment is the kind of essay that introduces a novel way of discussing the topic at hand at depth, employs the concepts and terminology in an appropriate manner and engages in clear and lucid argumentation. It is the type of essay that should elicit a strong positive response from a non-academic reader interested in philosophy.