When most of us hear the word "philosophy" we think of mysterious bearded men from two thousand years ago. But philosophy is not just a historical artifact -- professional philosophers today continue to ask the hard questions and do their best to answer them. In this introductory course we will examine the sorts of questions philosophers ask, the methods of reasoning and argumentation they use, and the value of philosophical thinking in the real world.

We've all heard about the scientific method, but let's go deeper. What is the foundation of scientific reasoning? What distinguishes scientific branches of inquiry from non-scientific ones -- for example, astronomy from astrology? These (and many others) are the questions of philosophy of science. In this course we will look at some important problems and theories in the philosophy of science. In particular, we'll focus on David Hume's problem of induction, and Karl Popper's theory of falsification.

Want to be better at reasoning? Better at persuading people? Logic is the science of correct reasoning, and lies at the heart of mathematics, philosophy, computer science, and other fields. In this course we'll look at how logic uncovers the mathematical structures underlying language, and how it is put to use in various fields.

When most of us hear the word "philosophy" we think of mysterious bearded men from two thousand years ago. But philosophy is not just a historical artifact -- professional philosophers today continue to ask the hard questions, and do their best to answer them. In this introductory course we will examine the sorts of questions philosophers ask, the methods of reasoning and argumentation they use, and the value of philosophical inquiry in the real world.

We've all heard about the scientific method, but let's go deeper. What are the aims of science and how does it achieve them? What justifies scientific reasoning? What distinguishes scientific branches of inquiry from non-scientific ones -- for example, astronomy from astrology? These (and many others) are the questions of philosophy of science. In this course we will look at some important problems and theories in the philosophy of science. In particular, we will focus on David Hume's problem of induction, and Karl Popper's theory of falsificationism. Come with an open mind, and expect to leave with more questions than you arrived with.