Topic outline

  • General

    Philosophy

    • Lectures on Wednesdays from 14:15-16:00 and Fridays from 10:15-12:00 (starting October 11th). 
    • Teaching Locations: TU6 – Maarintie 8 & AVP Juniper K3 – Puumiehenkuja 5

    Teacher:
    Lauri Järvilehto, PhD, Professor of Practice, lauri.jarvilehto@aalto.fi

    Why are we here? What is the good life? How does the mind work? Can machines think? 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 on getting familiar with the conceptual tools needed to be able to practice and apply philosophical thinking in everyday life.

    Participation in 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. 

    The lectures are structured around the following themes:

    Lecture 1: What Is Philosophy I? (11.10.2023) AS2

    A general introduction to and discussion of what philosophy is.

    Lecture 2: What Is Philosophy II? (13.10.2023) AVP Juniper

    Continued discussion on themes introduced in the first lecture with a brief historical overview.

    Lecture 3: What Is the Mind? (25.10.2023) TU6

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

    Lecture 4: How Language Works? (27.10.2023) AVP Juniper

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

    Lecture 5: What Can We Know? (1.11.2023) TU6

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

    Lecture 6: What Exists and What Is Imaginary? (3.11.2023) AVP Juniper

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

    Lecture 7: Question Everything? (15.11.2023) TU6

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

    Lecture 8: How Science Works (17.11.2023) AVP Juniper

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

    Lecture 9: What Is Good and What Is Evil? (22.11.2023) TU6

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

    Lecture 10: What Is Beautiful? (24.11.2023) AVP Juniper

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

    Lecture 11: What Is A Good Life? (29.11.2023) TU6

    A discussion on how to conceptualize, evaluate and enact the good life. 

    Lecture 12: How to Live a Good Life? (1.12.2023) AVP Juniper

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

    Lecture 13: Philosophy in Practice (8.12.2023) AVP Juniper

    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 the course will require the completion of the following:

    • Learning diary (3–4 pages) of the lectures.
    • A course essay (3–5 pages) developing a personally relevant philosophical idea.
    • Peer review of two course essays.
    • Completing reflections on mandatory course readings.
    • Active attendance in class.

    The essays will be peer reviewed. After submitting your essay, you will receive two essays from your fellow students to review and evaluate. You will be asked to give feedback for the essays, focusing on what your peer has done well as well as offering suggestions for improvement. You will need to submit your review of the two essays in one week after the submission deadline.