The beginnings

What is Philosophy?

• What does it study? Some examples.

• How does it study? 

• What are the differences with the sciences and the religions?

Where did Philosophy originate?

• The first philosophers.

• Why there and then?

• How has philosophy evolved? 

• Why studying a little philosophy today?

Knowledge

Rational and irrational thinking

• Superstition, myth and pseudosciences

• Common sense, sciences and philosophy

• Knowing, believing, doubting and ignoring.

Is knowledge possible?

• Dogmatism and relativism.

• Escepticism: two kinds.

Which are the sources of our knowledge?

• Empirism

• Rationalism

• Scientific methods

Thinking logically

Do we need to study Logic?

• Thinking: two kinds.

• Fallacies: two kinds.

Some tools:

• Propositional logic

• Class logic

• Probability

Reality

What does exist and what just looks like it exist:

• Sensory Illusions. Sensorial limitations.

• Beyond the senses: Plato's cavern.

• Realism: naive and scientific.

Does reality follow laws?

• Determinism / Indeterminism / Chaos

• Human freedom

Naturalism and spiritualism

• Does God exist?

We, human beings

The origins of the human species:

• Evolution by natural selection.

• Our ancestors

Human psicology:

• Emotions and feelings

• Personality

• Interrelation of nature and culture.

Philosophy: looking for meaning to our existence

• Meaning beyond this world: salvation and transcendence.

• Meaning within this world: hedonism, happiness and fullfilment.

What should I do?

Morality:

• What is it? Its purpose in a society.

• Moral change: relativism, absolutism.

• Sources of our morals: emotions, intuitions, customs, reason.

Moral reasoning: ethics

• Beyond the Golden Rule.

• Happiness versus moral obligation.

Human freedom:

• Restrictions and limits.

• Freedom and responsibility.

• Compatibilism vs incompatibilism.

Society and politics

We are a social species:

• Pro-social behaviour and skills.

• Socialization: two phases.

• Social organization: four types.

Politics:

• Why politics? Naturalism versus contractualism.

• Power and authority.

• Political institutions: state, government, civil society.

• Democracy: its strengths and weaknesses.