| Philosophy is a matter both of questioning our world and of developing perspectives on it. In this course we will read from the work of some important modern philosophers to try to understand the questions they raise and the strategies they develop in trying to answer them. We will survey issues that are usually thought to be the main problems of philosophy, but we will also try to see how these bear on debates that arise in our contemporary world. In particular, we will see how the ideas of classic thinkers cast light on the causes and alternatives to violence, especially warfare. In doing so, we will touch on debates about human nature, our ability to know about the world, our capacity to act rationally, and the quality of our moral commitments. Philosophy is possible because human beings reflectively try to make sense of their world. As we discuss what is unique to philosophy, we will compare it with other ways we try to understand experience, including the mass media. |