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

4.7
stars
9,501 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....

Top reviews

LT

Sep 1, 2015

I thoroughly enjoyed this course and find that it encouragingly sets some directions, and of course, raises my excitement for further study into some of the different fields of philosophy. Thank you.

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.

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926 - 950 of 2,233 Reviews for Introduction to Philosophy

By Abigail W

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May 6, 2020

Really interesting and has a wide variety of relevant philosophical ideas.

By ES

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Nov 24, 2018

Clear explanations, thought provoking, lots of introductory ground covered

By Shuting D

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May 17, 2018

An awesome course that covers lots of areas and basic ideas of philosophy!

By BIKRAMJIT K

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Jun 6, 2021

Course materials are thought-provoking, thanks for giving the opportunity

By shahad a

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Mar 12, 2021

its nice courses thank you

but I want a certificate, where can I find it?

By Arjav P

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Jul 25, 2020

Very Extra Ordinary and Excellent course. I have enjoyed it.

Thanks team!!

By Isaiah C R

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May 20, 2020

This is very relatable and interesting for me. Thank you for this course.

By Kamil E C

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Apr 24, 2020

This course is useful for me and I learn new something about Philosophy .

By Qi W

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Feb 21, 2018

Great Introduction to Philosophy.

- 1star for SUPER bad chinese subtitles.

By Kedar P

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Apr 30, 2017

A year after this course, I am pursuing my masters in Philosophy now. :-)

By Lionel S

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May 12, 2016

It is a deeply interesting course. I really enjoied. Thank you very much!

By Chelsea S

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Nov 20, 2015

This Course really thought me how to expand my perspective on everything.

By Gilang S

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Oct 12, 2023

Insane, surprisingly fun and interesting, changing how I view Philosophy

By Mobashwer S

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Jul 19, 2020

Very interesting Course with lots of critical and life changing question

By Jannio E H

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Jun 17, 2020

Thank you Coursera and The Edinburgh University for such a great course!

By Mónica B F

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Apr 8, 2018

Fantastic! Now I'm more interested in philosophy than I have never been.

By Macarena J A

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Feb 14, 2016

hasta el momento me ha gustado mucho lo que visto, good job teachers....

By A K

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Nov 11, 2015

Very enjoyable introduction to the mesmerizing world of Philosophy... T

By Julio

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Jul 31, 2024

It's a complete course that help to understand more the human reasoning

By SHIVAM S

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Jun 21, 2021

A very good and brief insight into the topic of philosophy for a layman

By Catherine C

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May 10, 2021

Excellent introduction with engaging instructors. I’ve learned so much.

By Jonathan C

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Nov 9, 2019

Great course! Nice informative lectures! Well done. Very interesting.

By Felipe D

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Sep 14, 2019

very well achived. great materials. great professors. thank you for all

By Daniel I R S

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Oct 16, 2017

Excelente curso. Ayuda a comprender diferentes tópicos de la filosofia.

By Anne C

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Apr 27, 2017

Nice easy course to break yourself into philosophy and the study of it.