Core Subject Description: An initiation to the activity and process of philosophical reflection as a search for a synoptic vision of life. Topics to be discussed include the human experiences of embodiment, being in the world with others and the environment, freedom, intersubjectivity, sociality, and being unto death.
Course objectives: At the end of the course, the student should be able to:
1. Reflect on their daily experiences from a holistic point of view
2. Acquire Critical and Analytical Thinking skills
3. Apply their critical and analytical thinking skills to the affairs of daily life
4. Become truthful, environment-friendly, and service-oriented
5. Actively committed to the development of a more humane society 6. Articulate their own philosophy of life
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MIDTERM TOPICS
Holism and Particularism: Seeing the Whole vs. the Parts
The Value of Doing Philosophy: Gaining a Broader Perspective on Life
Doing Philosophy: Reflecting on Life through a Holistic Lens
Truth and Belief: Distinguishing What We Know from What We Feel
Philosophical Methods: The Road to Wisdom and Truth
Truth-Seeking in Action: Evaluating Claims through Philosophical Reasoning
Embodied Existence: Exploring the Body as Site of Limits and Possibility
Self in Question: Evaluating Personal Limits and the Path to Transcendence
Philosophy and Aesthetics: Seeing, Sensing, and Shaping the World
Caring for the Earth: Environmental Ethics and Human Flourishing
Living Wisely: Ethical Habits for a Sustainable World
FINALS TOPICS
Choosing Wisely: Evaluating Actions through Prudence
Weighing Choices: Realizing the Cost and Consequences of Freedom
Living with Freedom: Showing Choices and Their Consequences
Respecting Others: Realizing Intersubjectivity and the Value of Differences
Understanding Others: Explaining Authentic Dialogue and Acceptance
Recognizing Human Dignity: Appreciating the Talents of PWDs and the Underprivileged
Individuals and Societies: Recognizing Mutual Formation and Transformation
Societies Across Time: Comparing Agrarian, Industrial, and Virtual Forms of Life
Human Relationships in the Face of Social Systems
Knowing Oneself through Life Goals and Personal Projects
The Search for Meaning in One’s Personal Existence