哲學與哲學家導論

This course is a general introduction to philosophy based on an exploration of the work and lives of the most influential philosophers of the past. We will be surveying various philosophical topics in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy. Furthermore, students will learn to understand and assess the philosophical theories represented in works of philosophers such as Plato, Descartes, Locke, and Sartre. We will pay particular attention to the ethics (i.e., values and morals) of philosophy and the history of philosophy, both of which have shaped socially held beliefs, including the historical viewpoints of marginalized groups of people such as the Hussites in Bohemia. Also, in the course, there will be a strong emphasis on learning to discuss various philosophical issues, so class discussion will be an important component. 

Lesson 1: Socrates (470-399 BCE)
Lesson 2: Plato (428-348 BCE)
Lesson 3: Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
Lesson 4: Saint Augustine (354-430)
Lesson 5: Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Lesson 6: Machiavelli (1469-1527)
Lesson 7: Descartes (1596-1650)
Lesson 8: Spinoza (1632-1677)
Lesson 9: Locke (1632-1704)
Lesson 10: Rousseau (1712-1778)
Lesson 11: Kant (1724-1804) 
Lesson 12: Hegel (1770-1831) 
Lesson 13: Marx (1818-1883)
Lesson 14: Nietzsche (1844-1900)
Lesson 15: Sartre (1905-1980)

Some examples of questions for consideration:

How can we be sure that there is an external world?
Is the mind distinct from the brain?
What is the self?
Do we have free will?
What makes an action morally right or wrong?
What distribution of social goods is demanded by justice?
Where did we come from?
Why are we here and how should we live?
Are humans innately good or evil?
Can humans change their behavior?
What makes us human?
Why does suffering happen?