This Introduction to Philosophy course is a critical introduction to the field of philosophical inquiry. After defining philosophy and identifying the major fields of philosophical study, the course examines the history of Western thought, from the famous Greek philosophers up to the cutting-edge intellectuals of today. The course then dives into various thematic topics, including metaphysics, epistemology, free will and determinism, evil and the existence of God, personal identity, ethical values, and political philosophy. The course concludes with an analysis of different perspectives, including Eastern philosophies, and post-colonial thought.

This Course Includes:

Proctored Exams

48 hours grading turn-around

Live technical and student support

Free transcription to your destination school

150+ partner college and universities with direct articulation

Online Course

Introduction to Philosophy +$79.00

Tutoring (included)

Proctoring

Proctoring +$0.00

Etextbook

PHIL101 eTextbook (a $130.66 value) +$0.00

Introduction to Philosophy

$0.00

Your Courses

{{label}}:{{options}}

{{qty}} x {{name}}

Plus Membership [?]

Introduction to Philosophy

Course Content from McGraw Hill

Course Number: PHIL101 Download Course Syllabus

Overall Rating
Content Rating

This Course Includes:

Proctored Exams
48 hours grading turn-around
Live technical and student support
Free transcription to your destination school
150+ partner college and universities with direct articulation

Self Paced
Humanities
Content by McGraw Hill

Online Course

Introduction to Philosophy +$79.00

Tutoring (included)

Proctoring

Proctoring +$0.00

Etextbook

PHIL101 eTextbook (a $130.66 value) +$0.00

Credits 3

Plus Membership [?]

Add to Cart

Course Objectives

After completing this Introduction to Philosophy course, you will be able to:

Identify the major philosophical controversies.
Evaluate the Socratic method and the basic principles of logic.
Evaluate the contributions of Descartes to the debates on the meaning of knowledge and existence.
Analyze the concepts of empiricism with reference to the theories of Locke, Hume, and Berkeley.
Analyze Kant's theory that experience is the result of sense data processed by the mind and relate it to modern cognitivism and constructivism.
Explore the concepts of structuralism and deconstruction.
Understand the main ideas of existentialism as a counter to Hegelian Absolute Idealism.
Examine some modern approaches to the debate on the mental-physical divide.
Compare the approaches of Kant, Nietzsche, and the pragmatists to the concept of knowledge.
Analyze the theories that see mental states as functional states and examine their implications.
Critically evaluate the concepts of free will and determinism.
Examine the cosmological arguments for the existence of God.
Compare theories that insist on universal values with those that argue that values are culture specific.
Critically examine theories that see the self as a self-generating process rather than as a static entity.
Compare Mill's and Marx's views on the relation between the individual and the state.
Examine the teachings of Taoism, Confucianism, Zen Buddhism and other Eastern influences on philosophy.

Topic	Topic Title	Subtopics	Objectives
1	Introduction to Philosophy and Philosophical Reasoning	What Is Philosophy? Philosophic Concerns The Tools of Philosophy	Define epistemology, metaphysics, and axiology. Identify the major philosophical controversies. Evaluate the Socratic method and the basic principles of logic.
2	History of Western Thought: The Greeks to the Middle Ages	The Pre-Socratics Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Augustine to Aquinas	Evaluate the contributions of the early Greek thinkers to epistemological and metaphysical questions. Understand how all explorations of knowledge can be traced back to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Review how St. Augustine’s philosophy can be traced to Plato and how Aquinas reconciled Aristotelian though and Christian belief..
3	Epistemology: The Search for Knowledge	Skepticism and Rationalism Empiricism and Phenomenalism Constructivism, Relativism, and Pragmatism Defining Knowledge	Compare different forms of skepticism and rationalism. Evaluate theories dealing with knowledge as verifiable. Compare the approaches of Kant, Nietzsche, and the pragmatists to the concept of knowledge. Compare different theories that attempt a definition of knowledge.
4	History of Western Thought: The Renaissance to the Seventeenth Century	Erasmus Descartes – Skepticism and Dualism Hobbes and Materialism Spinoza and Leibniz – Versions of Monadology Preserving Biodiversity	Evaluate the contributions of Descartes to the debates on the meaning of knowledge and existence. Examine Hobbes’s materialism as a counter to dualism. Compare Ancient and Modern conceptions of knowledge.
5	Metaphysics: The Mind-Body Problem	Dualism Physicalism Functionalism and Artificial Intelligence	Evaluate the theories that argue the existence of both physical and mental states. Compare theories that argue that there are only physical states with dualistic theories. Analyze the theories that see mental states as functional states and examine their implications.
6	History of Western Thought: The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century	Locke, Hume, and Berkeley - Empiricism Kant and the Origins of Constructivism Hegel and Schopenhauer	Analyze the concepts of empiricism with reference to the theories of Locke, Hume, and Berkeley. Analyze Kant’s theory that experience is the result of sense data processed by the mind and relate it to modern cognitivism and constructivism. Understand the main features of Hegelian Absolute Idealism and Schopenhauer’s rejection of it.
7	Personal Identity	The Body or the Soul? Memory, Desire, and Reincarnation Self as a Process	Critically consider animalism and the soul theories of individual identity. Examine theories that argue that memory determines sense of identity. Critically examine theories that see the self as a self-generating process rather than as a static entity.
8	The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: The Continental Tradition	Kierkegaard and Nietzsche - Existentialism Literature and Philosophy New Ideas from Other Disciplines	Compare the views Camus and Sartre and those of Husserl and Heidegger on the nature of experience. Review analytics philosophy’s contributions by Wittgenstein, Russell and Habermas.
9	History of Western Thought: The Twentieth Century	Pragmatism Logic and Philosophy Language and Philosophy The Philosophy of Mind	Review the arguments against fixed absolute truth as presented by Charles Sanders Pierce, William James, John Dewey, and Richard Rorty. Explore the methods by which Bertrand Russell and others related philosophy to an activity based on logical analysis. Examine the importance of studying language to explore experience. Examine some modern approaches to the debate on the mental-physical divide.
10	Ethical Values	Absolutism and Relativism Utilitarianism Duty The Definition of Virtue	Compare theories that insist on universal values with those that argue that values are culture-specific. Investigate the impact of utilitarian philosophies on concepts related to ethics. Examine the theories of Kant, Ross, Rawl, and Nozick with reference to ethics as related to an individual’s social commitments. Evaluate the utilitarian and Kantian concepts of virtue.
11	Political Philosophy	The Social Contract Justice The State and the Individual	Compare, contrast, and evaluate the social contract theories of Hobbes and Locke. Critically evaluate various accounts of justice: Plato’s meritocracy, Aquinas’s natural law, Mill’s utilitarianism. Compare Mill’s and Marx’s views on the relation between the individual and the state.
12	Evil and Existence of God	Cosmological Arguments Teleological Arguments Other Approaches to God	Examine the cosmological arguments for the existence of God. Evaluate arguments for the existence of God that are based on a larger design, miracles, and religious experience. Investigate ontology, the problem of evil, the existence of God, and theology.
13	Free Will and Determinism	Determinism Libertarianism Compatibilism	Critically evaluate the concepts of determinism. Examine and comment on theories that oppose determinism, including libertarianism. Differentiate between traditional and hierarchical compatibilism.
14	Eastern Influences	Hinduism Buddhism Chinese Philosophies The Philosophy of Samurai	Evaluate the contributions of Hinduism to epistemology and metaphysics. Review Buddhist contributions to epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. Examine the teachings of Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism. Evaluate the martial precepts of the Samurai philosophy and relate them to Taoism and Confucianism.
15	Review Topic	Review	Review.

There are no prerequisites to take Introduction to Philosophy.

The required eTextbook for this course is included with your course purchase at no additional cost. More information on StraighterLine eTextbooks

Prefer the hard copy? Simply purchase from your favorite textbook retailer; you will still get the eTextbook for free.

This course does not require a text.

StraighterLine provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
If you have chosen a Partner College to award credit for this course, your final grade will be based upon that college's grading scale. Only passing scores will be considered by Partner Colleges for an award of credit. There are a total of 1000 points in the course:

Topic	Assessment	Points Available
3	Graded Exam #1	175
8	Graded Exam #2	175
12	Graded Exam #3	175
14	Graded Exam #4	175
15	Cumulative Graded Final Exam	300
Total		1000

Final Proctored Exam

The final exam is developed to assess the knowledge you learned taking this course. All students are required to take an online proctored final exam in order complete the course and be eligible for transfer credit.

Learn more about Proctored Exams

12/9/14 by cowgirl98

while I didn't really enjoy the topic that much. I do like the way that straighterline tests students online.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

10/29/14 by andrewmays85

Tough course. A lot of information is presented and it can be hard to recall certain information during exams.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

10/29/14 by andrewmays85

Tough course. A lot of information is presented and it can be hard to recall certain information during exams.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

10/10/14 by tanessajane

This course was a survey of philosophers and concepts, but did a good job covering a wide range of topics and touching on the many important theories and changes that occurred throughout history.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

10/10/14 by tanessajane

This course was a survey of philosophers and concepts, but did a good job covering a wide range of topics and touching on the many important theories and changes that occurred throughout history.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

9/15/14 by mele4you

A thorough introduction into general field of Philosophy.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

9/15/14 by mele4you

A thorough introduction into general field of Philosophy.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

9/12/14 by cowgirl98

while I didn't really enjoy the topic that much. I do like the way that straighterline tests students online.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

9/6/14 by andydh

it was interesting and i enjoyed it.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

8/25/14 by gabby18152003

I thought this was a very well laid out course. It was interesting to go through and easily understood.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

8/25/14 by gabby18152003

I thought this was a very well laid out course. It was interesting to go through and easily understood.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

6/28/14 by cowgirl98

videos were not that helpful, studying the book is probably your best bet. Also the review activities will probably not help you know the answers on the test.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

6/28/14 by cowgirl98

videos were not that helpful, studying the book is probably your best bet. Also the review activities will probably not help you know the answers on the test.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

6/27/14 by pradeshshrestha

I found this course to be relatively easy and intersting. Since I am a Christian, this course was like a preparation for an apologetics view for me. As for the material, I used the 8th edition, which was pretty similar. I read through the book once and took notes by going back and reviewing at the end of each chapter. I could not really use the provided flashcards because I have slow internet. The homework quizzes are, by the way, confusing and the answers are wrong many times. However, the tests seemed easy and they were very straightforward and well-versed (unlike the quizzes). I finished this course in approximately 2 weeks (45 hours).

Content Rating
Overall Rating

6/27/14 by pradeshshrestha

Content Rating
Overall Rating

6/9/14 by andydh

it was interesting and i enjoyed it.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

6/6/14 by mjeffers95

Lots of reading, but relatively easy

Content Rating
Overall Rating

6/6/14 by mjeffers95

Lots of reading, but relatively easy

Content Rating
Overall Rating

9/4/13 by jonathanl

I was able to complete this course quickly because I am a philosophy major who has covered much of the material already. I was pleased with the breadth of material, albeit limited in depth as the entire course is based on multiple choice understandings, and not a moderated seminar-style discussion, as philosophy should be practiced. I would recommend this course for people in similar situations as mine: the junior philosophy major who needs to take Intro. Phil for a major requirement, but doesn't want to waste tuition money and credit hours during the school year tediously going through material already learned (for the most part).

Content Rating
Overall Rating

8/18/13 by derrick.w

Well chosen textbook along with good helpful lessons. The ungraded homework is riddled with incorrect answers, however. Luckily, this was not the case for the graded exams. Other than that, just be prepared for memorizing quite a bit of information.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

7/30/13 by jumpingbadger

This course is great for busy people. I purchased the textbook ahead of time and read it and then completed the class over a couple of weeks.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

7/27/13 by latoya.deon

Tests questions are multiple choice; though the questions are still difficult, I like that they allow the book and one page of Notes.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

7/23/13 by asafar

The online material was not that helpful. Very little information for each chapter. Material provided had nothing to do with the exams at the end of each chapter.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

7/17/13 by nico.r

basic overview

Content Rating
Overall Rating

7/15/13 by Rfarris

The lessons had no bearing on the tests. Very difficult

Content Rating
Overall Rating

7/4/13 by darcissa

Horrible homework assignments that did not match he text. I had to spend a lot of extra time clarifying the correct answers with SMEs (who corrected the material following my emails)

Content Rating
Overall Rating

7/4/13 by cindylou944

This was a difficult course for me. I was lucky, and did not have work, children or any other classes or responsibilities during this course and was able to devote a lot of time to reading and studying. I used an electronic book which was very helpful in finding topics.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

7/1/13 by luv2shoot407

This course was well organized, and the textbook was pretty good. Some parts were a little confusing, but I think that is just the nature of philosophy. The book did pretty well trying to explain everything.

Content Rating
Overall Rating

5/29/13 by fiondep

health topics very good info

Content Rating
Overall Rating

Load More Reviews

Course Objectives

After completing this Introduction to Philosophy course, you will be able to:

Identify the major philosophical controversies.
Evaluate the Socratic method and the basic principles of logic.
Evaluate the contributions of Descartes to the debates on the meaning of knowledge and existence.
Analyze the concepts of empiricism with reference to the theories of Locke, Hume, and Berkeley.
Analyze Kant's theory that experience is the result of sense data processed by the mind and relate it to modern cognitivism and constructivism.
Explore the concepts of structuralism and deconstruction.
Understand the main ideas of existentialism as a counter to Hegelian Absolute Idealism.
Examine some modern approaches to the debate on the mental-physical divide.
Compare the approaches of Kant, Nietzsche, and the pragmatists to the concept of knowledge.
Analyze the theories that see mental states as functional states and examine their implications.
Critically evaluate the concepts of free will and determinism.
Examine the cosmological arguments for the existence of God.
Compare theories that insist on universal values with those that argue that values are culture specific.
Critically examine theories that see the self as a self-generating process rather than as a static entity.
Compare Mill's and Marx's views on the relation between the individual and the state.
Examine the teachings of Taoism, Confucianism, Zen Buddhism and other Eastern influences on philosophy.

Topic	Topic Title	Subtopics	Objectives
1	Introduction to Philosophy and Philosophical Reasoning	What Is Philosophy? Philosophic Concerns The Tools of Philosophy	Define epistemology, metaphysics, and axiology. Identify the major philosophical controversies. Evaluate the Socratic method and the basic principles of logic.
2	History of Western Thought: The Greeks to the Middle Ages	The Pre-Socratics Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Augustine to Aquinas	Evaluate the contributions of the early Greek thinkers to epistemological and metaphysical questions. Understand how all explorations of knowledge can be traced back to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Review how St. Augustine’s philosophy can be traced to Plato and how Aquinas reconciled Aristotelian though and Christian belief..
3	Epistemology: The Search for Knowledge	Skepticism and Rationalism Empiricism and Phenomenalism Constructivism, Relativism, and Pragmatism Defining Knowledge	Compare different forms of skepticism and rationalism. Evaluate theories dealing with knowledge as verifiable. Compare the approaches of Kant, Nietzsche, and the pragmatists to the concept of knowledge. Compare different theories that attempt a definition of knowledge.
4	History of Western Thought: The Renaissance to the Seventeenth Century	Erasmus Descartes – Skepticism and Dualism Hobbes and Materialism Spinoza and Leibniz – Versions of Monadology Preserving Biodiversity	Evaluate the contributions of Descartes to the debates on the meaning of knowledge and existence. Examine Hobbes’s materialism as a counter to dualism. Compare Ancient and Modern conceptions of knowledge.
5	Metaphysics: The Mind-Body Problem	Dualism Physicalism Functionalism and Artificial Intelligence	Evaluate the theories that argue the existence of both physical and mental states. Compare theories that argue that there are only physical states with dualistic theories. Analyze the theories that see mental states as functional states and examine their implications.
6	History of Western Thought: The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century	Locke, Hume, and Berkeley - Empiricism Kant and the Origins of Constructivism Hegel and Schopenhauer	Analyze the concepts of empiricism with reference to the theories of Locke, Hume, and Berkeley. Analyze Kant’s theory that experience is the result of sense data processed by the mind and relate it to modern cognitivism and constructivism. Understand the main features of Hegelian Absolute Idealism and Schopenhauer’s rejection of it.
7	Personal Identity	The Body or the Soul? Memory, Desire, and Reincarnation Self as a Process	Critically consider animalism and the soul theories of individual identity. Examine theories that argue that memory determines sense of identity. Critically examine theories that see the self as a self-generating process rather than as a static entity.
8	The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: The Continental Tradition	Kierkegaard and Nietzsche - Existentialism Literature and Philosophy New Ideas from Other Disciplines	Compare the views Camus and Sartre and those of Husserl and Heidegger on the nature of experience. Review analytics philosophy’s contributions by Wittgenstein, Russell and Habermas.
9	History of Western Thought: The Twentieth Century	Pragmatism Logic and Philosophy Language and Philosophy The Philosophy of Mind	Review the arguments against fixed absolute truth as presented by Charles Sanders Pierce, William James, John Dewey, and Richard Rorty. Explore the methods by which Bertrand Russell and others related philosophy to an activity based on logical analysis. Examine the importance of studying language to explore experience. Examine some modern approaches to the debate on the mental-physical divide.
10	Ethical Values	Absolutism and Relativism Utilitarianism Duty The Definition of Virtue	Compare theories that insist on universal values with those that argue that values are culture-specific. Investigate the impact of utilitarian philosophies on concepts related to ethics. Examine the theories of Kant, Ross, Rawl, and Nozick with reference to ethics as related to an individual’s social commitments. Evaluate the utilitarian and Kantian concepts of virtue.
11	Political Philosophy	The Social Contract Justice The State and the Individual	Compare, contrast, and evaluate the social contract theories of Hobbes and Locke. Critically evaluate various accounts of justice: Plato’s meritocracy, Aquinas’s natural law, Mill’s utilitarianism. Compare Mill’s and Marx’s views on the relation between the individual and the state.
12	Evil and Existence of God	Cosmological Arguments Teleological Arguments Other Approaches to God	Examine the cosmological arguments for the existence of God. Evaluate arguments for the existence of God that are based on a larger design, miracles, and religious experience. Investigate ontology, the problem of evil, the existence of God, and theology.
13	Free Will and Determinism	Determinism Libertarianism Compatibilism	Critically evaluate the concepts of determinism. Examine and comment on theories that oppose determinism, including libertarianism. Differentiate between traditional and hierarchical compatibilism.
14	Eastern Influences	Hinduism Buddhism Chinese Philosophies The Philosophy of Samurai	Evaluate the contributions of Hinduism to epistemology and metaphysics. Review Buddhist contributions to epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. Examine the teachings of Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism. Evaluate the martial precepts of the Samurai philosophy and relate them to Taoism and Confucianism.
15	Review Topic	Review	Review.