Western Philosophy OpenCourseWare: MIT's Free Bachelor Level Course on Western Philosophy

Published Feb 06, 2009

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Study the Western philosophers in this free OpenCourseWare offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), including Descartes, Plato, Aristotle and Sartre. 'Classics in Western Philosophy' provides an opportunity for students to consider the great philosophical questions and learn to analyze philosophical thought. This course has no prerequisites and is ideal for students pursuing degrees in Linguistics and Philosophy.

Classics in Western Philosophy: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Classics in Western Philosophy: Course Description

This course begins by exploring how Socrates was found guilty of corrupting the innocent because of his philosophies. Students assess his arguments and his philosophy that no one knowingly does wrong. Study also includes Aristotle's beliefs about the soul, life and connections between the two. Study then covers other philosophers' thoughts on happiness, ethics and morality in this course offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences in Cambridge, MA. This allows students to develop their own philosophies while studying other philosophers' meditations to decide which principles are sound. Students also examine philosophical problems and explore Sartre's thoughts on existentialism. This course is taught by MIT Professor Rae Langton.

This OpenCourseWare includes lectures, notes, some assignments and a sample test. Some reading material, additional resources and other study materials are also available. To take this course, visit the 'Classics in Western Philosophy' course page.

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