Introduction to Philosophy

This course introduces students to the chief branches of the discipline of philosophy - that is, logic, epistemology, ontology, and metaphysics - through study of the primary works and main ideas of a representative selection of the world's great philosophers. This survey covers the period from the ancient world through to the present, and may include both Western and Eastern philosophical traditions. Students explore the development of such fields as political philosophy, the philosophy of aesthetics, the philosophy of science, and linguistic philosophy. Student assessment includes a combination of Socratic dialogue, formal debate, formal presentations, unit tests, journal work, and research-supported philosophical essay writing.