If you are new to the study of philosophy we recommend first completing one of the courses below first or another course of introductory level, including Plato’s Symposium or a course on political philosophy.
The Good Life: An Introduction to Philosophy
level: Introductory, duration:5 weeks
Despite all technological advances, the fundamental question of how we should live remains unresolved. This course will introduce the central arguments concerning the meaning and content of human happiness and excellence in the philosophical tradition. The course incorporates the texts of the VCE Philosophy unit on the Good Life, including Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche and Susan Wolf.
The Whole of Human Existence: An Introduction to Philosophy
level: Introductory, duration:5 weeks
From its beginning philosophy has been the aspiration to understand human existence. That aspiration conflicts with the dominant convictions of our time, including the belief that the various sciences can provide this knowledge, or the belief that all knowledge is relative to one’s history, economic background, linguistic inheritance, and so forth.
This opposition reflects the original discovery of philosophy in Ancient Greece as a way of life guided by human reason alone: a way of life that is always in potential conflict with the dominant opinions of the time. Philosophy raises questions such as: What is happiness? What is justice? and What is human excellence? By contrast, political communities consist of answers to those questions.
This opposition also reflects the modern philosophical project to make science and reason not just respected, but the main benefactor of social life. The great success of modern natural science seems to provide us with a model of knowledge but our ever expanding powers have not solved the problems that every human being faces concerning the significance of life.
To be introduced to philosophy means to enter the human activity of trying to make sense of the whole of life. In this course we will discuss key texts of philosophers whose thought is of fundamental importance for our self-understanding. A general discussion of the broader implications of the various approaches to philosophy that they represent will be accompanied by a detailed reading of one or two extended passages.