Everyone has their own inner philosopher—a voice within that asks, oh so insistently, philosophical questions. Everyone wants to know what the ultimate nature of the world is, what the self is, whether we have free will, how our minds relate to our bodies, whether we can really know anything, where ethical truth comes from, what the meaning of life is, and whether or not there is a God. This inner philosopher is related to the inner child, since the child too is prone to asking philosophical questions. But it is much better to have a disciplined guide through philosophy than simply to try to do all the thinking by yourself. I will be acting as your guide. I will cover all the main problems of philosophy, from logic to ethics, from the human mind to God, introducing you to how philosophers think and the theories they have come up with. The first four lectures focus on foundational questions that need to be clarified before we engage upon more applied discussions. We need to know what knowledge is, what truth is, and what logical reasoning is before we start discussing ethics, the mind, free will and God. So let’s start with the basics, then break into a run only when we have learned how to walk.
Colin McGinn was educated at Oxford University, where he won the prestigious John Locke prize and later taught before moving on to UCLA. He is currently a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University. McGinn regularly writes newspaper and magazine articles and is the author of numerous books, including philosophical works, fiction, and an autobiographical book, the acclaimed The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy.
Lecture 1 Skepticism: What Do You Really Know?
Lecture 2 Knowledge: How Should Knowledge Be Analyzed?
Lecture 3 Truth: What Is the Nature of Truth?
Lecture 4 Logic: What Is Valid Reasoning?
Lecture 5 Knowledge and Experience: Where Does Knowledge Come From?
Lecture 6 The Basis of Ethics: What Makes Something Right or Wrong?
Lecture 7 Happiness and Right Action: How Are Morality and Human Welfare Related?
Lecture 8 Morality and Blame: Are We Free?
Lecture 9 Mind and Body: How Are They Related?
Lecture 10 Consciousness: Can the Mystery Be Solved?
Lecture 11 Mind and World: Are Objects Really as They Appear?
Lecture 12 The Self: Who Am I?
Lecture 13 God: Can the Existence of God Be Proved?
Lecture 14 The Meaning of Life: What Gives Human