Overview of Philosophy Philosophy is recommended for all students, since it questions and analyzes the foundations of thought. Philosophers investigate our ideas of morality, of justice, of the law, of education, of genetic research, of religious belief, art, and of the nature of knowledge itself. You can take courses on topics such as Theories of Mind or Philosophy of Science, or you can study the philosophical systems of the great thinkers, from Plato to contemporary Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor. Philosophy is an important part of a well-rounded education, since it fosters the development of a questioning attitude, critical awareness, and clarity of thought. Philosophy is the study of the ideas that shape our thought and activity. While we do discuss controversial issues in politics, morality, science, religion, art, etc., philosophy is more concerned with the ideas that underlie all such debates. We consider what the role of government should be, what reasons there could be to describe anything as good or bad, what proves that something is true, whether there could be a reality beyond the physical world, and whether the only value of art is the pleasure it gives. Such questions have been answered in a variety of theories, and any study in philosophy begins with learning what others have thought; but our purpose is not primarily to be historians of ideas, and assignments focus on developing the intellectual abilities and techniques required to think effectively for oneself at this deeper level. So philosophy emphasizes interpretation and original thought, reasoning, discussion and assessment. B-level courses address specific topics such as art, feminism, politics, techniques of argument, and theories of mind. Since they have no prerequisites they also serve as entry-points to philosophy. Seminars in Philosophy are advanced courses for students with at least two full-course equivalents in Philosophy. (Instructors will admit students whose courses in other disciplines have adequately prepared them for a seminar. Students must provide transcripts when requesting special permission to enrol in a seminar). Supervised research courses are direct continuations of the topic-matters of the seminars with which they are paired by number and subtitle. The corresponding seminar is always a prerequisite and it must have been taken within the preceding four academic terms, including summer sessions. You may be interested in visiting the Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto.

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