Principles of Philosophy
Earn college credit with Principles of Philosophy—a self-paced online course exploring major philosophical questions in ethics, knowledge, reality, and reasoning. Build critical thinking skills through clear lessons, quizzes, and assignments on your schedule, then complete a proctored final exam. Ideal for general education humanities credit and transfer pathways, with transcript options available.
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Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to: explain the foundational principles and objectives of philosophy, along with the significance of its various branches in intellectual exploration, fostering a holistic understanding of philosophical inquiry; develop critical thinking skills through the analysis and evaluation of arguments, recognizing their structures and the importance of coherent reasoning in logical discourse, enabling rigorous intellectual engagement; differentiate between inductive and deductive reasoning, gain insight into the enduring philosophical legacy of Socrates and Plato, appreciating their contributions to Western thought, fostering a deeper appreciation for historical philosophical development; and utilize the Socratic Method as a tool for inquiry and critical examination, employing questioning techniques to foster thoughtful dialogue and deepen comprehension, nurturing intellectual curiosity and dialogical proficiency.
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Learning Outcomes
Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to: explain the foundational principles and objectives of philosophy, along with the significance of its various branches in intellectual exploration, fostering a holistic understanding of philosophical inquiry; develop critical thinking skills through the analysis and evaluation of arguments, recognizing their structures and the importance of coherent reasoning in logical discourse, enabling rigorous intellectual engagement; differentiate between inductive and deductive reasoning, gain insight into the enduring philosophical legacy of Socrates and Plato, appreciating their contributions to Western thought, fostering a deeper appreciation for historical philosophical development; and utilize the Socratic Method as a tool for inquiry and critical examination, employing questioning techniques to foster thoughtful dialogue and deepen comprehension, nurturing intellectual curiosity and dialogical proficiency.
Major Course Topics
Major topics include fundamentals of Philosophy and logic; logical fallacies; exploring free will and determinism; exploring self, mind, and consciousness in Philosophy; the concept of divinity in philosophical inquiry; exploring the interplay between religion and Philosophy; exploring reality in philosophical inquiry; the philosophical foundations of science; foundations of knowledge: an introduction to Epistemology; exploring ancient perspectives on knowledge; contemporary perspectives on knowledge; current trends in epistemological inquiry; exploring ethical theory and practice; the study of political theory; ethics, equality, and Social Justice.


