Introduction to Western Philosophy

Catalog description

This course examines the distinction between appearance and reality across the history of the Western philosophical tradition, from Ancient Greece to contemporary thought. Through close readings of primary philosophical texts, students will explore enduring questions about truth, knowledge, perception, and the nature of human existence. The course considers how thinkers have understood the relationship between the world as it appears to us and the possibility of a deeper or hidden reality, while also examining how science, logic, art, film, poetry, and experience shape our understanding of reality. Students will engage these questions through reflective writing and discussion, considering how different philosophical perspectives illuminate, challenge, and transform our understanding of ourselves, society, and the world around us.