PHILOSOPHY
What Does it All Mean?
AUTUMN QN123
Thursdays
Sandra Bonetto
Why should we be moral? What is the relation between our minds and our brains? Do we really have free will? Is there life after death? How should we feel about death? Does anything we do with our life really matter? And does it matter if it doesn’t matter? What does it all mean?
These are perennial questions we ask about ourselves. In this course, students will learn how to think clearly about them and how to tackle the problems of philosophy. Students will be encouraged to ask questions, to try out ideas and raise possible objections to them. In so doing, the course will demonstrate that, far from being an ‘empty study’, philosophy is an indispensable key to understanding our lives. As such, this course itself is an introduction to the subject of philosophy and aims to show how we can become philosophers ourselves.
| BELFIELD | ||
| 10 Thursdays | Sep 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 | 7.30pm - 9.30pm |
FEE €190 |
Print Open Learning Application Form 2012.13 or ring (01) 716 7123 for Laser/ Credit Card payment |
Tutor Details:
Sandra Bonetto (BA, MA, PhD) has been a tutor and lecturer of philosophy to undergraduate students and adult learners for the past 11 years. She has won several scholarships and academic awards. Her publications include articles on Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Hegel. Sandra’s particular philosophical interests are in ethics, political philosophy and the philosophy of literature.
Provisional list of key topics to be covered:
- How do we know anything?
- Other Minds
- The Mind-Body Problem
- The Meaning of Words
- Free Will
- Right and Wrong
- Justice
- Death
Who is the course for?
The course is for anyone who is interested in philosophy, in asking questions. It does not require any prior understanding of philosophy as it is itself an introduction to philosophy.
Reading List:
The following is a selection of recommended texts for those interested in reading further around the course content. We advise that you do not buy books in advance of the course as your tutor will discuss the list and suggest the most relevant reading for particular interests.
Primary Text:
Thomas Nagel, What Does It All Mean? (Oxford: OUP, 1987).
Selected reading materials will be provided in class
