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Philosophy (GE-110): Course outline (GE-110)

Course contents

Unit I: Introduction

  • What is Philosophy?
  • What is a philosophical question?
  • Why Study Philosophy?

Unit II: Arguments for the existence of God

  • The Design Argument
  • The Fine-Tuning Argument
  • The First Cause Argument
  • The Ontological Argument

Unit III: Moral Philosophy

  • What is Ethics?
  • Duty-based Ethical Theories
  • Consequential Ethics
  • Virtue Ethics
  • Meta-Ethical Theories

Unit IV: Political Philosophy

      • Equality
      • Democracy
      • Freedom
      • Punishment
      • Civil Disobedience

Unit V: Metaphysics: Appearance and Reality

  • Common-sense Realism
  • Representative Realism
  • Idealism
  • Phenomenalism
  • Causal Realism

Unit VI: Philosophy of Science

  • The Simple View of Scientific Method
  • The Problem of Induction
  • Falsificationism (Karl Popper)
  • Scientism

Unit VII: Philosophy of Mind

  • What is philosophy of mind?
  • The Mind–Body Problem
  • Physicalism
  • Behaviorism
  • Functionalism
  • Problem of Other Minds

Unit VIII: Philosophy of Art

  • What is philosophy of art?
  • The Family Resemblance Art Theory
  • The Idealist Art Theory
  • The Institutional Art Theory
  • Evolutionary Art Theory
  • Anti-intentional Art Theory

Course description

This course will introduce students the fundamentals of philosophy. It will touch upon the central questions of philosophy, such as what is the difference between a philosophical and 35 a non-philosophical question? How the existence of God can be justified? What are the criteria of right and wrong? How society should be organised? What is reality? How does science evolve? What is mind and how it can be explained? and whether beauty is subjective or objective? In general, these questions underpin the philosophical debates in religion, ethics, politics, metaphysics, science, and art.

Course objectives

The main objectives of the course are to:

  • Enable non-philosophy background students to grasp and understand mainstream and hard philosophical arguments.
  • Make students understand how science evolve.
  • Guide them mind is and how it can be explained.

Teaching-learning strategies

Teaching will be done through lecture method with a combination of tasks/projects and presentations

Assessment and Examinations

Assessment will be done as per university/department policy.

Textbooks