The main objective of this course is to introduce the student to philosophical ways of thinking as well as to train the student to think and write critically about philosophical issues. Philosophy is an examination of some of life's most fundamental questions. Among the questions that we shall examine are: Are there any successful arguments for the existence of God? What are the limits of artificial intelligence (AI)? What is the self? What does it mean to be the same person from one moment to the next? What is morality? Why should anyone act morally if it isn't in his or her self-interest? Does free will really exist or are all of our actions pre-determined?

Required text: John Perry, Michael Bratman, and John M. Fischer, eds. Introduction to Philosophy, 4th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007). ISBN: 0195169247