HISTORY OF IDEAS

Course Outline
INTRODUCTION TO METAPHYSICS, EPISTEMOLOGY, AND MORAL THEORY
THE SELF AND HUMAN NATURE:
Essentialist and Traditional Theories of the Self
Existentialist Approach to the Self
Postmodern Approaches to the Self
Feminist Approach to the Self
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY:
Traditional Approaches
Emergence of Modern Politics
Contractarianism/Contractualism
Two Concepts of Liberty: Liberals and Communitarians
Nation-State and Prospects for a Global State
A New World Order
KNOWLEDGE:
Continental Rationalism and British Empiricism
Materialism and Idealism
Transcendental Idealism
Intuitionism
Postmodern Approaches
Speech Action Theory
ETHICS AND MORALITY:
Genealogy of Morals/Moral Perspectivism
Relativism and Universalism
 Freewill and Determinism
Premodern, Modern and Postmodern Approaches
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE AND METHODOLOGY
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
Positivism
Conjecture and Refutation
Paradigm Shift and Scientific Revolution

Recommended Books:
Philosophy: The Power of Ideas by Brooke Noel Moore & Kenneth Bruder
Questions That Matter: An Invitation to Philosophy by Ed L. Miller & Jon Jensen
The Blackwell Guide to Continental Philosophy by Robert Solomon & David Sherman
Philosophy: A Text with Readings by Manuel Velasquez
What is this thing called science by Alan Chalmers