Introduction to Philosophy with
1000-Word Philosophy

COURSE DESCRIPTION

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This self-paced course offers a thorough introduction to key topics and questions in philosophy, featuring concise, accessible readings from 1000-Word Philosophy and activities designed to enhance your understanding and encourage reflection. Each module explores a range of philosophical concepts, ideas, and arguments within a particular area of philosophy, inviting you to explore fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, consciousness, moral responsibility, and more.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

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By actively engaging with the material, you will:

 

• Develop an understanding of important philosophical concepts, ideas, and arguments across various branches of philosophy, including ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind.

• Strengthen your critical thinking skills and practice analyzing and evaluating complex ideas and arguments.

• Apply philosophical concepts to real-world situations, fostering thoughtful reflection on important theoretical and practical issues.

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COURSE TEXTS: 1000-WORD PHILOSOPHY ESSAYS

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1000-Word Philosophy is an open-access online anthology that features original, accessibly written 1000-word essays on a range of philosophical questions, theories, figures, and arguments. The essays themselves are 1,000 words or fewer but also include footnotes and suggestions for further reading.

 

1000-Word Philosophy essays are geared toward a general audience and assume no prior background in philosophy. Some essays have accompanying videos, and some have also been translated into other languages.

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STUDY GUIDE: ENGAGING WITH THE TEXTS AND EXERCISES

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For each numbered session, aim to spend 45-60 minutes engaging with the material. This will give you enough time to read the assigned texts thoughtfully, take notes, reflect on key ideas, ask questions, and identify your main takeaways. 

 

To make the most of this course, it's important to engage deeply with the assigned readings. Here are some tips for active reading and reflection:

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• Read carefully: read each essay slowly and thoughtfully, ideally more than once. (Note that you can also listen to the essays using the text-to-speech plugin available on the website.)

• Highlight, underline, take notes: as you read, jot down key points, thoughts, or questions that come to mind, and highlight or underline important passages. This helps you stay engaged and makes it easier to refer back to important ideas.

• Ask questions: if something is unclear, write down your questions or areas of confusion. Reflect on these as you read further, and seek answers within the text (be sure to check the footnotes for additional clarification.) 

• Write a summary: after reading, write a brief summary of the key takeaways. Focus on what surprised or interested you, what challenged your previous beliefs, and any new insights or perspectives you gained.

 

The “Reflection Exercises” sessions do not include assigned readings but provide prompts for reflection and critical engagement with the materials included in the module. Use these exercises to:

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• Synthesize ideas from different readings: identify overarching themes, connections, and tensions between texts. Look for patterns in arguments, recurring concepts, or evolving perspectives across the module’s materials.

• Explore personal reactions and intellectual responses to the material: reflect on how the readings resonate with your own experiences, beliefs, or prior knowledge. Did they reinforce or challenge your views? Did they deepen your understanding? Did they bring up emotions?

• Critically examine the arguments presented in the texts: assess the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments. Are the arguments well-supported with evidence? Do they rely on particular assumptions that should be questioned? Consider alternative viewpoints, additional arguments, and potential counterarguments.

• Develop questions that can guide future discussions or inquiries: formulate questions that extend beyond the immediate text and encourage deeper exploration. These could be about areas of ambiguity, points of disagreement, or broader implications of the arguments presented.

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