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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Philosophy by The University of Edinburgh

4.7
stars
9,093 ratings

About the Course

This course will introduce you to some of the main areas of research in contemporary philosophy. Each module a different philosopher will talk you through some of the most important questions and issues in their area of expertise. We’ll begin by trying to understand what philosophy is – what are its characteristic aims and methods, and how does it differ from other subjects? Then we’ll spend the rest of the course gaining an introductory overview of several different areas of philosophy. Topics you’ll learn about will include: Epistemology, where we’ll consider what our knowledge of the world and ourselves consists in, and how we come to have it; Philosophy of science, where we’ll investigate foundational conceptual issues in scientific research and practice; Philosophy of Mind, where we’ll ask questions about what it means for something to have a mind, and how minds should be understood and explained; Political Philosophy, where we'll investigate whether we have an obligation to obey the law; Moral Philosophy, where we’ll attempt to understand the nature of our moral judgements and reactions – whether they aim at some objective moral truth, or are mere personal or cultural preferences, and; Metaphysics, where we’ll think through some fundamental conceptual questions about free will and the nature of reality. The development of this MOOC has been led by the University of Edinburgh's Eidyn research centre. To accompany 'Introduction to Philosophy', we are pleased to announce a tie-in book from Routledge entitled 'Philosophy for Everyone'. This course companion to the 'Introduction to Philosophy' course was written by the Edinburgh Philosophy team expressly with the needs of MOOC students in mind. 'Philosophy for Everyone' contains clear and user-friendly chapters, chapter summaries, glossary, study questions, suggestions for further reading and guides to online resources. Please click "Start Here" and navigate to the "Optional Reading" page for more information....

Top reviews

LT

Sep 1, 2015

I thoroughly enjoyed this course and find that it encouragingly sets some directions, and of course, raises my excitement for further study into some of the different fields of philosophy. Thank you.

CC

Oct 7, 2015

Great explanations that is broken down with examples for understanding. Quizzes test for your understanding of the topic rather than just the textbook explanations. Challenging and thought revoking.

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251 - 275 of 2,120 Reviews for Introduction to Philosophy

By Umaar M

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Sep 1, 2020

It's a well structured course for absolutely beginners in the study of Philosophy. They include various schools of thought of different matters in this course, that helped in developing seeing thing from a different angle and deriving different conclusions.

By Meral S

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Apr 21, 2021

In this course, I have been introduced to a variety of philosophical area. Moral philosophy to time travelling. It was a fun and educational journay. I think a lot about what I learn and it is changing my view of the world. I recommend everyone. Thank you.

By Jessica H

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Sep 26, 2015

Clear, well-paced and engaging classes. I appreciated the overview of key debates in each topic, and my experience with this course was made all the more enjoyable through the passion with which the lecturers spoke about their respective areas of interest.

By Ratul D

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Jun 23, 2020

I had an amazing time while going through this course. It helped me to deliberate the ideas and to have a proper subjective goals to it with topics of Idealism, Ethics which HSS brought a change in me. I'm Thankful to coursers for letting me a part of it.

By Jola F

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Oct 13, 2016

I have enjoyed this course from the first class; it shows the philosophy as a set of ideas we may discuss using logic and not as a set of dates and Names attached to the Books. The professors are brilliant, lectures neither intimidated nor oversimplified.

By Mary S

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Sep 8, 2020

Very good introduction to Philosophy, it makes you continue to investigate and ask yourself about your beliefs and try to place yourself in any of the theories or perspectives of the philosophers, as well as realize that you were not so wrong. Thank you.

By Bo P

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Apr 12, 2019

I really enjoyed this course. Many intro to Philosophy can be pretty boring and hard to get into. However, this was accessible and introduced enough topics to get you interested. Also liked the balance and diversity in teaching staff. Highly recommended!

By Aamir N

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Sep 4, 2020

Thank you very much. Very informative and made easy. Progressive in nature, The faculty made each new idea, theory and thought / concept very interesting and doable. As a start course, i am happy and feel fortunate that I participated.

Thanks All of You

By stephen

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May 25, 2020

A great introduction to Philosophy in general and i really enjoyed the lecturers the content. The lectures were long enough but not to detailed that i got lost in the subject matter. I will definitely continue on my path of self knowledge. Thank you.

By Juan C C G

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Jun 20, 2019

Casi perfecto, muy versatil, diferente, ameno, solo un poco complicados los cuestionarios de evaluación, aunque como profesor me ayudaron a dificultar mis exámenes. Nota la parte más difícil es la de filosofía de la ciencia, la Doctora habló muy rápido.

By Marie N

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Apr 24, 2022

Very well structured and covers the essentials for an intro to philosophy class. Very accessible. Offers ample additional readings for those who wish to explore further. Particularly enjoyed the lectures by prof. Michela Massimi and Dr. Suilin Lavelle.

By Nicholas G

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Jul 19, 2020

Well-structured course and knowledge is pretty much accessible, as being supported by very good, tailor-made reading material. The discussion fora are more helpful with this course than in other across the Coursera offer - most likely due to the topic.

By Elad

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May 9, 2020

This was really a great starting point to explore a field that I have for many years yearned to discover and has brought me to a point where I can better reason and understand about the nature of (some) philosophical discussions and ideas. Many thanks!

By Chung-Han L

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May 6, 2019

This course is highly recommended. It makes me be more humble in front of knowledge and request me to think more and more differently. Philosophy is not only a subject but also a way of thinking. I believe it helps you in any field you are focusing on.

By Weiwei H

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Sep 2, 2015

Very thought-provoking. Every teacher gives a comprehensible and approachable lecture about the given topics. The complementary material also helps. Be very contented with all of them. Thank you for all the contribution for making this course possible!

By Jay-R R T

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May 17, 2020

I learned a lot from the discussions. It made me more aware of my surroundings. It made me more observant and inquisitive. I appreciate the passion of the instructors. They are great at presenting the concepts and providing examples. This was helpful.

By mohammad s

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Sep 19, 2020

It is my first course on philosophy and it is really interesting. I learned how to think critically about topics and I also got to know a few topics in depth. I will recommend this course to those who are trying to know about philosophy as a subject.

By Freya O

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May 3, 2020

Very interesting and great for the beginner! I definitely found certain weeks harder than other however once you begin to understand the language used then it becomes easier overall. Examples at each stage were extremely helpful for my understanding.

By Dr S K

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Jul 23, 2020

Coming from India, I have a fairly good knowledge about Indian culture and philosophy. Mainly Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. I was keen to know about western philosophy. It was a good course. Very new and abstract for me, but a great learning time.

By Juan P

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Oct 4, 2017

Un curso fantástico para introducirse en el maravilloso mundo de la filosofía. Después de aprender con este curso quedan muchas ganas de seguir leyendo y comprendiendo esta disciplina. Muchas felicitaciones a la gente de la Universidad de Edinburgh.

By Maya R

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May 4, 2021

Thank you very much! It was an amazing journey which I will not forget. Each lectors helped me to know more about the different areas of Philosophy. I liked every pedagogical approaches and the modern fresh view on the main problems they discussed.

By Germán D C

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Dec 12, 2016

This Philosophy course is perfect for those who want to get familiar with current philosophical discussions. They provide you with a very general view of a variety of philosophical debates in a very easy manner, so that anybody can understand them.

By Ishika S

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Apr 2, 2021

An interesting and informative course for those who've wanted to understand the basic ideas and arguments in philosophy. Great resources are provided too if you want to do some extra reading and understand more. Thanks for the lessons, professors!

By Juan M H R

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Oct 30, 2020

Es un curso bastante completo. Desde luego, la filosofía abarca una cantidad enorme de temas pero eso no impide que el curso ofrezca un hilo conductor y establezca una serie de objetivos. Los profesores y profesoras del curso son extraordinarios.

By Jeremiah J P

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Jun 29, 2020

The class covers philosophical fundamentals in a fair, yet informative and engaging manner. The timeline of subject material fits purposefully and anyone with an interest in critical thinking could be converted into a full-time philosopher by it.