Where Should I Begin?

Three of the Philosophy department’s courses are particularly good starting points for the student who is interested in philosophy:

These courses are good places to start for two reasons: they presuppose no philosophical background, and they explicitly address some of the fundamental 'mechanics' of studying philosophy (e.g. how to read and engage with philosophical writing, and how to write philosophy essays). Any one of these courses will give you a solid foundation to pursue further coursework in philosophy.

To decide among these courses, it is helpful to think about which sorts of philosophical questions you find interesting or provoking. Would you like to learn how to think carefully and rigorously about difficult moral and political problems? Try PHIL 106. Do you find yourself wondering whether there's any truly secure knowledge, and what its limits might be? Do you wonder whether modern physics challenges the possibility that humans have free will? Consider PHIL 103. Or are you most interested in philosophy's roots, in the traditions from which we have inherited our current questions and proposed solutions? In this case, PHIL 201 is the place to start.

The department also offers a number of other courses without prerequisites in each of the three sub-fields. Check the all courses section of the Curriculum page for details.