Semester-Long Elective

This course continues the exploration of Philosophy while moving beyond introduction and into deeper, more complex philosophical problems. Students will engage with major debates about reality, morality, and the questions that matter most to them personally. Specifically, the course is organized around three major units. Unit 1, Metaphysics: The Problem of Free Will and Determinism, has students engaging with the question, "Are our actions truly our own?" and grappling with the implications of these ideas in relation to moral responsibility and personal identity. Unit 2, Metaethics: The Foundations of Morality, will have the students investigate the status of moral truth itself, examining moral realism, anti-realism, and nihilism. Unit 3 will be a student-driven exploration of philosophical questions of personal interest. Students will finish the semester by selecting a topic, thinker, or tradition to study in depth and take on the role of both learner and teacher. Pre-requisite: Introduction to Philosophy