The aim is to develop students' abilities to engage in dialectic encounter with all worldviews which press modern humanity for consideration. A general introduction to the problems, methods, scope and history of philosophical enquiry as exemplified by the course of moral theory. In particular, the major views on human nature and morality are examined in their philosophical and historical contexts, tracing the development of ethics from Socrates through the medieval and the modern eras down into the 20th century. Metaphysical and epistemological issues are treated as needed for the proper exposition and criticism of the various moral theories studied, giving students an introductory knowledge of the full range of philosophical problems and demonstrating their interconnections. An introduction to the principles of valid reasoning designed to develop analytical skills and abilities.
Emphasis is placed on the evaluation of arguments through both informal and formal methods.
Topics covered include informal fallacies, syllogisms, inductive logic and probability. A study of the major philosophical developments in the 19th century. Figures covered include Hegel, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche, Comte, Mill, Brentano and Frege. A philosophical examination of major social and political concepts such as authority, justice, law, obligation and rights. Special attention will be given to the use of these concepts in such ideologies as communism, fascism, and democracy.