24.00 Problems of Philosophy

Course description: This course is an introduction to some classic philosophical questions. Should I believe in God? Do I really know anything? Is morality objective? What should I do? Do I have free will? What does it take for me to persist through time? What’s the meaning of life? We’ll discuss the significance of these questions and assess the plausibility of various ways that these questions might be answered. The ultimate goal of the course is to develop your critical and argumentative skills: by the end of the course, you should be able to think philosophically for yourself.

Lectures: 11am-12pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, in 1-190

Syllabus: available here.

Assignment 1 (+writing advice)

Assignment 2

Assignment 3

Canvas site: https://canvas.mit.edu/courses/22125.

Resources for my students

Jim Pryor on writing philosophy here.

Helena de Bres’s Pink Guide to Philosophy Classes (see, in particular, the sections “How to Write” and “Writing Dos and Don’ts”) here.

A sample philosophy paper from Angela Mendelovici here.