Chevron Left
Back to Introduction to Philosophy

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Philosophy by The University of Edinburgh

4.7
stars
9,661 ratings

About the Course

This course will introduce you to some of the main areas of research in contemporary philosophy. Each module a different philosopher will talk you through some of the most important questions and issues in their area of expertise. We’ll begin by trying to understand what philosophy is – what are its characteristic aims and methods, and how does it differ from other subjects? Then we’ll spend the rest of the course gaining an introductory overview of several different areas of philosophy. Topics you’ll learn about will include: Epistemology, where we’ll consider what our knowledge of the world and ourselves consists in, and how we come to have it; Philosophy of science, where we’ll investigate foundational conceptual issues in scientific research and practice; Philosophy of Mind, where we’ll ask questions about what it means for something to have a mind, and how minds should be understood and explained; Political Philosophy, where we'll investigate whether we have an obligation to obey the law; Moral Philosophy, where we’ll attempt to understand the nature of our moral judgements and reactions – whether they aim at some objective moral truth, or are mere personal or cultural preferences, and; Metaphysics, where we’ll think through some fundamental conceptual questions about free will and the nature of reality. The development of this MOOC has been led by the University of Edinburgh's Eidyn research centre. To accompany 'Introduction to Philosophy', we are pleased to announce a tie-in book from Routledge entitled 'Philosophy for Everyone'. This course companion to the 'Introduction to Philosophy' course was written by the Edinburgh Philosophy team expressly with the needs of MOOC students in mind. 'Philosophy for Everyone' contains clear and user-friendly chapters, chapter summaries, glossary, study questions, suggestions for further reading and guides to online resources. Please click "Start Here" and navigate to the "Optional Reading" page for more information. This course is also available with captions in Chinese: https://www.coursera.org/learn/zhexue-daolun Learners can apply for Financial Aid directly with Coursera to assist with the cost of accessing the full course and gaining a certificate for successfully completing the course....

Top reviews

NS

May 15, 2020

I enjoyed the course a bit. But in middle i got stuck for some lectures which were designed in a bit difficult way to understand. Otherwise the rest of the materials were great. Learnt a Lot!

AR

Jul 5, 2017

I found this course incredibly stimulating. A wonderfully structured introduction to European philosophy. All modules well presented. How lucky we are to have learning like this at our fingertips.

Filter by:

1101 - 1125 of 2,271 Reviews for Introduction to Philosophy

By Ismael F

•

Dec 30, 2020

It helped me a lot...i used it in a philosophy paper.

By Gayathri S S

•

Oct 17, 2020

The course was extremely informative and interesting.

By Nafisa S

•

Oct 12, 2020

It was a wonderful experience. Really loved learning.

By Deleted A

•

Sep 13, 2020

This a great course Thanks to instructor and Coursera

By Koushik D

•

Sep 4, 2020

It's a very good course and I learn with to much fun.

By Кіракосян А А

•

Apr 13, 2020

Thanks for the interesting course! It was informative

By Deleted A

•

Feb 3, 2018

It was a great introduction to philosophy! Thank you!

By Биданова А Е

•

Jul 23, 2025

The course was quite interesting and understandable.

By Kidus F

•

Aug 8, 2023

Great material. I really liked the essay assignment.

By Sreana H

•

Dec 26, 2021

This was one of the best courses I ave taken so far.

By María C E S

•

May 21, 2020

I learn a lot, I hope to study in edinburgh someday!

By George K

•

Jan 17, 2018

Great intro course to philosophy, really enjoyed it!

By 胡齐琦

•

Dec 21, 2015

interesting， I‘d like to learn more about philosophy

By George C M

•

Nov 1, 2015

Good variety and challenging but achievable. Thanks.

By Bryan W

•

Oct 27, 2015

Very well done for anyone passionate about learning.

By Christopher D

•

Oct 4, 2020

A great introductory course to philosophical ideas.

By Akhter H K

•

May 22, 2020

It was really an informative and conceptual course.

By Rihem S

•

Jul 24, 2019

One of the best MOOCs I've ever studied ! Thank you

By Mike V

•

Mar 11, 2018

This course is really interesting and engaging. :-)

By Stephanie C

•

Sep 23, 2017

excellent teachers, clear method, great involvment.

By Frida P

•

May 7, 2017

This was great. Thanks for everything. Bendiciones.

By Pascal D

•

Aug 23, 2015

This was a great introductory course to Philosophy.

By Hoàng A V

•

Jul 7, 2025

Valuable insights and knowledge from top lecturers

By MARIA T O G

•

Feb 19, 2025

Este curso me hizo reflexionar y tomar acciones{on

By KARLA V G G

•

Jun 21, 2023

Es bastante interesante y completo. Muy buen curso