Unit 1: Theory of Knowledge
In this course you will be introduced to the study of philosophy through two options.
The first option is called 'Reason and Experience' and here we look at the nature of sense perception and how it contributes to our knowledge of the world. We look at the idea that all ideas are derived from sense experience, whether the mind contains inbuilt or innate ideas and whether some things can be known without sense experience.
The second option is called 'Persons' and in this topic we discuss what exactly it is that makes a 'person', whether some animals could be seen as having personhood and whether some humans may not! We think about our personal identity and what it is that makes you 'you' over time - is it psychological or simply the fact that we occupy the same body over time?
Unit 2: An Introduction to Philosophy 2
In this unit there are another two options. The first is called 'Knowledge of the External World' and is a continuation of some of the issues raised in 'Reason and Experience'. We explore the empiricist view of knowledge by looking at the three major theories of perception: realism, representative realism and idealism.
The second option is called 'God and the World' and here we look at various arguments for the existence of God, including the argument from Design. We ponder the problem of evil and how that can square with belief in God before finally turning to look at what 'religious experience' is. |
