Philosophy
Question, Analyze, and Think Critically
Explore the fundamental questions of existence, knowledge, ethics, and reality through rigorous philosophical inquiry and critical thinking.
Who Is This For?
- Students Overwhelmed by Abstract Concepts: Feeling lost in your philosophy class? We can break down complex ideas from Plato's Forms to Kant's Transcendental Idealism into clear, understandable concepts.
- The Incurably Curious: Want to explore life's big questions? We can have guided discussions on everything from free will to the nature of consciousness, no prior experience required.
Philosophical Areas
Click on each philosophical area below to discover the fundamental questions we'll explore:
What We'll Explore
- Critical Thinking: We'll develop skills to analyze arguments. For example, we'll examine op-eds or political speeches to identify logical fallacies and persuasive techniques.
- Philosophical Texts: We will read and interpret foundational works. We might start with Plato's Apology to see how Socrates defended his philosophical life, a defense that resonates to this day.
- Ethical Dilemmas: We'll use thought experiments like the 'Trolley Problem' to examine moral questions and test the limits of different ethical frameworks.
- Logic & Argumentation: Understanding formal and informal logic, syllogisms, and sound reasoning
- Thought Experiments: Engaging with philosophical puzzles and hypothetical scenarios
- Philosophical Writing: Crafting clear, rigorous philosophical arguments and analyses
Key Thinkers We'll Discuss
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Heraclitus
535-475 BCE
No man ever steps in the same river twice
Key Idea
Logos - the underlying order in constant change and flux
Why Important
Recognized change as fundamental reality; influenced Hegel's dialectic
Influenced By
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Parmenides
515-450 BCE
What is, is; and what is not, cannot be
Key Idea
Being as eternal, unchanging, and indivisible reality
Why Important
Challenged sensory experience; laid groundwork for metaphysics
Influenced By
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Democritus
460-370 BCE
Nothing exists except atoms and empty space
Key Idea
Atomism - reality composed of indivisible particles in void
Why Important
Anticipated modern atomic theory; influenced materialist philosophy
Influenced By
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Empedocles
494-434 BCE
Love and Strife govern the cosmic cycle
Key Idea
Four elements (earth, air, fire, water) driven by Love and Strife
Why Important
Unified physics and cosmology; influenced later natural philosophy
Influenced By
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Socrates
470-399 BCE
The unexamined life is not worth living
Key Idea
The Socratic method - learning through questioning and acknowledging ignorance
Why Important
Founded the practice of philosophical inquiry and critical examination of beliefs
Influenced By
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Plato
428-348 BCE
Reality exists in the world of Forms
Key Idea
Theory of Forms - perfect ideals beyond the physical world
Why Important
Bridged abstract thinking with political theory, founded the Academy
Influenced By
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Aristotle
384-322 BCE
Virtue is a habit of character
Key Idea
Virtue ethics - character over rules, empirical observation
Why Important
Systematic approach to ethics, logic, and science; tutor to Alexander the Great
Influenced By
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RenΓ© Descartes
1596-1650
I think, therefore I am
Key Idea
Methodical doubt - question everything to find certainty
Why Important
Father of modern philosophy and the mind-body problem
Influenced By
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Immanuel Kant
1724-1804
Act only according to universal moral laws
Key Idea
Categorical imperative - universal moral principles
Why Important
Revolutionized ethics, knowledge, and aesthetics
Influenced By
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G.W.F. Hegel
1770-1831
History is the progress of consciousness
Key Idea
Dialectical process - thesis, antithesis, synthesis
Why Important
Influenced Marx, existentialism, and social theory
Influenced By
π
Arthur Schopenhauer
1788-1860
Life swings between want and boredom
Key Idea
The world as will - life driven by blind, irrational force
Why Important
Influenced Nietzsche, Freud, and existentialism
Influenced By
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Friedrich Nietzsche
1844-1900
The pre-Socratics were the true philosophers
Key Idea
Will to power - create your own values; return to pre-Socratic wisdom
Why Important
Challenged Christianity, morality, and truth itself; championed pre-Socratic thinking
Influenced By
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Martin Heidegger
1889-1976
Being is the most universal concept
Key Idea
Dasein - authentic existence and being-in-the-world
Why Important
Revolutionized existentialism and phenomenology
Influenced By
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Michel Foucault
1926-1984
Knowledge is power
Key Idea
Power structures shape knowledge and identity
Why Important
Analyzed how institutions control through knowledge
Influenced By
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Frantz Fanon
1925-1961
The colonized must reject colonial mentality
Key Idea
Psychological effects of colonization and racism
Why Important
Foundational to postcolonial and critical race theory
Influenced By
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Enrique Dussel
1934-2023
Philosophy must be decolonized
Key Idea
Philosophy of liberation from Latin American perspective
Why Important
Challenges Eurocentric philosophical assumptions
Influenced By
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Linda Tuhiwai Smith
1950-
Research is not innocent
Key Idea
Indigenous methodologies and decolonizing research
Why Important
Reclaims Indigenous ways of knowing
Influenced By
Nietzsche's Perspective on Philosophy: "Gradually it has become clear to me what every great philosophy so far has been: namely, the personal confession of its author and a kind of involuntary and unconscious memoir." This reminds us that philosophy isn't just abstract reasoningβit's deeply personal.
Web of Philosophical Influence
Explore how ideas have traveled through time, connecting great minds across centuries
Connection Types:
Teacher-Student
Influence
Opposition
Critique
Dialogue
Drag to pan β’ Scroll to zoom
Philosophy is a conversation across time. Each thinker builds upon, challenges, or transforms the ideas of those who came before. Follow the connections to see how ancient questions continue to evolve and find new expressions.
Learning Approach
Philosophy is fundamentally about learning to think clearly and question assumptions. I guide students through the process of philosophical inquiry, helping them develop the skills to examine ideas rigorously and articulate their thoughts precisely.
We'll engage with philosophical problems through dialogue, careful reading, and structured argumentation, fostering both critical thinking skills and intellectual curiosity that extends to all areas of life.