Philosophical Reasoning
Course Description
Summary
What is the difference between belief and knowledge? What is it to have a mind? Is theism rational? Are our actions free? These are some of the questions this first course in philosophy asks. Our investigation will center on the 17th-19th c., a watershed period in Western Europe marked by major political, scientific, religious, and intellectual revolutions. This course has two main aims: To introduce you to the methods and procedures of philosophical argument and to engage you in a critical dialogue around central problems in philosophy. We will read works in the Western philosophical tradition by canonical thinkers such as: Rene Descartes, John Locke, David Hume, George Berkeley, and non-canonical thinkers such as: Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, Margaret Cavendish, Catharine Trotter Cockburn, and Mary Shepherd. We will engage with these thinkers on questions concerning knowledge, reality, minds, religious belief, personal identity, and free will.
Learning Outcomes
- • De-code and make sense of primary source texts
• Engage thoughtfully with a range of philosophical views
• Analyze philosophical views and arguments
• Develop your ideas in writing using appropriate evidence and support