Introduction to Philosophy
- Free
- Paid certificate
- 2 weeks
Introduction to Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh surveys the main areas of contemporary philosophy, with a different philosopher presenting each topic. It opens by asking what philosophy is and how it differs from other subjects, then moves through morality (objective, relative or emotive?), the nature of knowledge, whether we are obliged to obey the law, whether to believe what we hear, minds, brains and computers, whether scientific theories are true, free will, and time travel. Short review modules sit between the weeks, and a peer-reviewed assignment closes the course.
Coursera lists fourteen modules of one to two hours each and a schedule of two weeks at ten hours a week on a flexible timetable; no level is stated. The course is flagged as free, so every module is accessible without payment. A shareable certificate can be bought, with the price not shown on the page, and financial aid is listed as available.
What you’ll learn
- Explain what philosophy aims to do and how it differs from science and other disciplines
- Compare objective, relative and emotive accounts of morality
- Assess what knowledge is and whether we can be said to have any
- Weigh arguments about obeying the law and trusting what others tell us
- Discuss minds and machines, free will and the status of scientific theories
Who it’s for
Anyone curious about philosophy who has never studied it; it assumes no background and works well as a first course.
Syllabus
14 sections as listed on coursera.org, 19 h 7 min in total.
- What is Philosophy? 2 h 17 min
- Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive? 1 h 16 min
- What is Knowledge? And Do We Have Any? 1 h 28 min
- Week 2 review: Lesson Choices 50 min
- Do We Have an Obligation to Obey the Law? 1 h 7 min
- Should You Believe What You Hear? 1 h 15 min
- Week 3 review: Lesson Choices 50 min
- Minds, Brains and Computers 1 h 41 min
- Are Scientific Theories True? 1 h 19 min
- Week 4 review: Lesson Choices 1 hour
- Do We Have Free Will and Does It Matter? 1 h 15 min
- Time Travel and Philosophy 1 h 39 min
- Week 5 review: Lesson Choices 1 hour
- Peer review 2 h 10 min
Instructors
- Dr. Dave Ward Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh
- Professor Duncan Pritchard Professor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh
- Professor Michela Massimi Full Professor, Philosophy, The University of Edinburgh
- Dr. Suilin Lavelle Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh
- Dr. Matthew Chrisman Reader in Philosophy, Philosophy, The University of Edinburgh
- Dr. Allan Hazlett The University of Edinburgh
- Dr. Alasdair Richmond Dr., Philosophy, The University of Edinburgh
- Guy Fletcher Lecturer, Philosophy, The University of Edinburgh
- Elinor Mason Senior Lecturer, Philosophy, The University of Edinburgh
Course details
- Skills covered
- Research
- Includes
- 14 modules
- Subtitles
- 24 languages
On coursera.org
Rated 4.7 out of 5 by 9,726 learners; 745,848 enrolled, as shown on the course page on 15 Oct 2026. These are coursera.org’s own figures, not ours.
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