Introduction to Philosophy

Level and demands

This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.

This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.

Course aims

The aim of the course is to introduce students to central topics in philosophy. The objectives are to promote interest in philosophy, to develop an understanding of the nature of philosophical questions, and of ways in which these can be answered.

IT requirements

This course is delivered online; to participate, you must be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.

Programme details

1. Why do Philosophy?

• What is philosophy?
• The unexamined life
• Ideas and values

2.  Knowledge

• First Meditation
• Stages of doubt
• Second Meditation
• Descartes and Hume

3. Free Will

• Intuitions on freedom
• Schopenhauer
• Changed your mind?
• Agents or victims

4. The World

• Locke and Berkeley
• Property distinction
• Blackburn
• Fatal blow to realism

5. Morality

• Dilemmas
• Nicholas the Merchant and the Oxford Riots
• Moral dilemmas and inescapable moral wrongdoing

We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral and very rewarding part of the course and the online learning experience.

Teaching methods

• Guided reading of texts
• Group discussions of particular issues
• Questions to be answered in personal folders
• Debating from positions given rather than from personal belief (to hone skills of debate)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be able to:

• Understand the nature of philosophical problems.
• Understand the different ways of responding to these problems, be able to differentiate between them, and to evaluate them.
• Grasp philosophical concepts and terms and reason philosophically.
• Interpret and analyse a philosophical text.
• Participate in philosophical debates.

Assessment methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first 500 words are due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome, but preparing for it and the feedback you are given will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Dr Ilhaam Isaacs

Mr Istvan Musza

Istvan has an MA in philosophy and political philosophy. He has spent some time in Oxford, Jesus College where he joined this thrilling online project. His favorite areas in philosophy are moral and political philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology and he is a big science fiction fan.

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework. All those enrolled on an online courses are registered for credit and will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

See more information on CATS points

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses

Textbooks

To participate in the course, you will need to have regular access to the Internet and you will need to buy the following books:

• Blackburn, S., Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (OUP, 2001)
• Guttenplan, S., Hornsby, J., Janaway, C. & Schwenkler J., Reading Philosophy: Selected Texts with a Method for Beginners, 2nd Edition (Wiley-Blackwell, 2021)

Both textbooks are available as e-books but please be aware that the page numbering might differ from the referenced printed editions.

Please ensure that you can access copies of any required textbooks before enrolling on a course. While cancellations are uncommon, courses may not run if enrolment is too low. The Department accepts no responsibility for books purchased in anticipation of a course running.

Module code: O26P322PHV

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