24.01 | Spring 2016 | Undergraduate

Classics of Western Philosophy

Course Description

This course will introduce you to the Western philosophical tradition through the study of thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Cavendish, Hume, and Kant. You'll grapple with questions that have been significant to philosophy from its beginnings: Questions about the nature of the mind, the existence of God, …
This course will introduce you to the Western philosophical tradition through the study of thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Cavendish, Hume, and Kant. You’ll grapple with questions that have been significant to philosophy from its beginnings: Questions about the nature of the mind, the existence of God, the foundations of knowledge, and the good life. You’ll also observe changes of intellectual outlook over time, and the effect of scientific, religious, and political concerns on the development of philosophical ideas.
Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments with Examples
A portrait of W. E .B. Du Bois.
A portrait of W. E. B. Du Bois by Winold Reiss, circa 1920. Du Bois’ concept of “double consciousness” is the focus for Session 23. (Image courtesy of Cliff on flickr. License CC BY.)