Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

This introductory philosophy course provides an understanding of the history of philosophy and the major contribution it has made to areas of thought such as political theory, ethics, aesthetics and the sciences. It encourages the development of critical thinking and the use of informal logic techniques as you explore some of history’s great thinkers and philosophers including the Greek pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, Nietzsche and Foucault.

Come along, extend your intellectual horizons and find out why this introductory course creates a loyal following for our philosophy program.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• discuss the main features of the idea of philosophy, its history and significance
• discuss the individual thinkers in the course, and their contribution to the development of philosophy, politics and psychology
• compare the implications of the history of philosophy with our contemporary world view
• use the insights of the course to deepen your knowledge of yourself and your life issues
• apply some of the ideas to personal decision-making mechanisms.

Content

Introduction to philosophy

We commence with an overview of the course content and then consider the question: What is philosophy?

Greek philosophy

How did Greek philosophy begin? We consider this question through an analysis of the Pre-Socratic philosophers: Thales, Heraclitus, Parmenides and Democritus. We also introduce the topic of formal logic, the issues of truth and validity, and methods of good argumentation.

Plato on justice

Plato's political utopian text the Republic had a profound influence on most later political philosophy. We discuss Plato's concept of 'justice' and how he builds his utopian society based on that founding concept.

Aristotle

Aristotle's philosophy in the Nicomachean Ethics is studied as an introduction to the topic of ethics. Particular attention is given to the problem of human 'free will'. We also consider the system of informal logic, and discuss some examples of good and bad arguments.

Seventeenth Century England

We now move from the Ancient Greek world to seventeenth century England and further develop the study of political philosophy through Thomas Hobbes' work: Leviathan (1651). Problems such as the justification of political power and the problem of individual rights will be discussed. We also continue our work on the problem of how to assess a sound argument.

Human rights

John Locke introduces the idea of 'human rights' as a basis for his political theory. This idea is the foundation of Liberalism and integral to all Western political thinking. We consider Locke's theory of private property including his concept of 'property in the body'.

Immanuel Kant

The eighteenth century German philosopher Immanuel Kant is considered to be the founder of modern aesthetics. We consider Kant's theory of the importance of aesthetics to human life and his concepts of the 'beautiful' and the 'sublime'.

Romantic Movement

The next development in philosophy is the Romantic Movement. The Romantics shift the analysis of the human condition away from reason and social order to issues of emotion and the unconscious, irrational drives which subvert our rational intentions.

Friedrich Nietzsche

The late nineteenth century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche will be studied for his aesthetic theories which represent a core nineteenth century romanticism, and for his critique of morality which introduces many of the themes which preoccupy continental philosophy during the twentieth century.

Michel Foucault

This week we introduce postmodern philosophy with the work of the French thinker Michel Foucault. We look at his theories of how power works in social and political life; how the concept of 'truth' functions; and the role of the body in the political machinery of history. We discuss his texts: The History of Sexuality Vol 1 (1976) and Discipline and Punish (1975).

Intended audience

Anyone with a general interest in philosophy.

Prerequisites

None

Delivery style

Lecture/seminar

Materials

Course handouts and readings are distributed electronically using Dropbox.