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Introduction to Philosophy (Live)
In this semester-long live course, students will get an overview of the field of philosophy. They will read segments of texts from a variety of subfields, and we will discuss them using the Socratic method during class meetings.
Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
Course Description: In this sixteen-week class, students will read and discuss a variety of texts and theories from the academic discipline of philosophy. Class meetings will utilize a Socratic format where the instructor facilitates a discussion using guided questions. This enables students to interact with each other, the instructor, and the content more actively than in a traditional lecture-style course. Please note that this course will explore a variety of potentially difficult...
16 lessons//16 Weeks
Week 1Lesson 1UtilitarianismStudents will read a segment from Henry Sidgwick's "The Methods of Ethics." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 2Lesson 2DeontologyStudents will read a segment from Immanuel Kant's "Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 3Lesson 3Virtue EthicsStudents will read a segment from Aristotle's "The Nicomachean Ethics." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 4Lesson 4Social Contract TheoryStudents will read a segment from John Locke's "Second Treatise of Government." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 5Lesson 5Justice as FairnessStudents will read a segment from John Rawls' "Justice as Fairness." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 6Lesson 6AestheticsStudents will read a segment from Arthur C. Danto's "The Artworld." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 7Lesson 7The Problem of EvilStudents will read a segment from David Hume's "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 8Lesson 8The Free-Will DefenseStudents will read a segment from Alvin Plantinga's "God and Other Minds." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 9Lesson 9The Mind-Body ProblemStudents will read a segment from Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia's correspondence with Rene Descartes. We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 10Lesson 10The Gettier ProblemStudents will read a segment from Edmund Gettier's "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?" We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 11Lesson 11Possible WorldsStudents will read a segment from David Lewis' "On the Plurality of Worlds." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 12Lesson 12The Problem of UniversalsStudents will read a segment from DM Armstrong's "Universals." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 13Lesson 13MetaethicsStudents will read a segment from Alfred Jules Ayer's "Language, Truth, and Logic." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 14Lesson 14Just War TheoryStudents will read a segment from Michael Walzer's "Just and Unjust Wars." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 15Lesson 15Medical EthicsStudents will read a segment from Thomas L. Beauchamp and James F Childress' "Principles of Biomedical Ethics." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.Week 16Lesson 16AI EthicsStudents will read a segment from Luciano Floridi's "The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence." We will go over the reading in class and the instructor will contextualize it. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions. There will also be an optional written assignment.
- Students will hone their critical thinking and analytical skills, practice actively participating in group discussions, and gain an understanding of several introductory philosophical concepts.
- Students will come away having read portions of a variety of texts that give them a better understanding of ethics, politics, knowledge, and being.
- Students will develop a greater understanding of the ideas and problems that are central to the human condition.
- Students will gain the opportunity to read dense texts in small, age-appropriate chunks, which enables them to develop their reading comprehension and analytical skills in a meaningful way.
I have a BA in Philosophy with minors in Political Science and Greek and Roman Studies, as well as an MA in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics and Political Philosophy. I’m the head coach of a competitive high school debate team and teach the liberal arts at a classical school. I’m also a professional creative writer and journalist. I love helping students of all ages understand and interpret difficult subjects and learn how to crystallize their thoughts in writing and oral communication. I believe studying difficult texts is a wonderful way to facilitate this kind of growth and learning.
1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assignments
Frequency: includedFeedback: includedDetails: Short but dense reading assignments will be required prior to each class meeting. Weekly optional writing assignments of around 250 words will also be offered. I will provide grading and feedback on these assignments if it is desired. In order to receive a grade for the course, students must complete at least four of these assignments. They can complete another assignment to replace a grade if they wish, for up to sixteen completed assignments. A student who only completes two assignments may receive a certificate of completion for the course if they choose. Written assignments are entirely optional. The only requirement for the course is reading and participating in class discussions.Letter Grade
Frequency: includedDetails: Letter grades will be offered as an option for students who complete at least four written assignments.Certificate of Completion
Frequency: includedDetails: A certificate of completion will be offered as an option for students who complete at least two written assignments.
If your student wishes to read more than the assigned portions of each text, or if you prefer to have physical copies of the books themselves, below is a comprehensive list of the editions we will be using in this course: Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by JAK Thomson. New York: Penguin Classics, 2004. Armstrong, DM. Universals: An Opinionated Introduction. Boulder: Westview Press, 1989. Ayer, Alfred Jules. Language, Truth, and Logic. New York: Dover, 1952. Beauchamp, Thomas L. and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019. Danto, Arthur C. Philosophizing Art: Selected Essays. Oakland: University of California Press, 1997. Descartes, Rene and Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia. The Correspondence Between Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia and Rene Descartes. Edited and translated by Lisa Shapiro. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Epistemology: Contemporary Readings. Edited by Michael Huemer. New York: Routledge, 2002. Floridi, Luciano. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: Principles, Challenges, and Opportunities. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023. Hume, David. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Edited by Richard H. Popkin. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998. Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. Edited and translated by Allen W. Wood. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2018. Lewis, David. On the Plurality of Worlds. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2001. Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Edited by Peter Laslett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Plantinga, Alvin. God and Other Minds: A Study of the Rational Justification of Belief in God. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990. Rawls, John. Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001. Sidgwick, Henry. The Methods of Ethics. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1981. Walzer, Michael. Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations. New York: Basic Books, 2015.
Please note that this course will explore a variety of potentially difficult topics, ideas, and events from divergent perspectives. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to review the syllabus in order to determine if they wish their child to analyze and discuss this content. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by JAK Thomson. New York: Penguin Classics, 2004. Armstrong, DM. Universals: An Opinionated Introduction. Boulder: Westview Press, 1989. Ayer, Alfred Jules. Language, Truth, and Logic. New York: Dover, 1952. Beauchamp, Thomas L. and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019. Danto, Arthur C. Philosophizing Art: Selected Essays. Oakland: University of California Press, 1997. Descartes, Rene and Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia. The Correspondence Between Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia and Rene Descartes. Edited and translated by Lisa Shapiro. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Epistemology: Contemporary Readings. Edited by Michael Huemer. New York: Routledge, 2002. Floridi, Luciano. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: Principles, Challenges, and Opportunities. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023. Hume, David. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Edited by Richard H. Popkin. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998. Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. Edited and translated by Allen W. Wood. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2018. Lewis, David. On the Plurality of Worlds. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2001. Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Edited by Peter Laslett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Plantinga, Alvin. God and Other Minds: A Study of the Rational Justification of Belief in God. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990. Rawls, John. Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001. Sidgwick, Henry. The Methods of Ethics. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1981. Walzer, Michael. Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations. New York: Basic Books, 2015.
Joined June, 2024
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Philosophy from Northern Illinois University
Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Illinois Wesleyan University
I have a BA in Philosophy with minors in Political Science and Greek and Roman Studies, as well as an MA in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics and Political Philosophy. I’m the head coach of a competitive high school debate team and teach...
Reviews
Group Class
$30
weekly or $480 for 16 classes1x per week, 16 weeks
55 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
1-18 learners per class
