A whirlwind tour of the history of philosophy, of the, “If it’s Tuesday, it must be Descartes” sort. We will not survey the whole landscape, but only hit high points.

Some questions we definitely will and some we may discuss: What is true and what is false about the idea that philosophy and science began on the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea about 2,600 years ago? Does philosophy produce any answers? What about the nature of reality can be found out just by thinking hard? What moral principles are required by reason? Is morality relative, and if so, in what respects? Is an infinite regress impossible? If so, can that prove the existence of God? Were Nazi laws really laws? Do we have free will? What makes it true that 7 + 5 = 12? That Caesar crossed the Rubicon? That electrons exist? That the present moment exists? What sort of social order would you select behind a veil of ignorance as to your social status and your talents?

Dramatis personae: Thales, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Kalem, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Einstein, Russell, Quine, and Rawls. No background required. Readings and videos for the course will be on the internet.

This course will combine lecture with class discussions.