Hopkinsville Community College

The Overall Objective of a General Philosophy Course:

A general introduction to Western Philosophy courses attempts to answer many questions (but not limited to).

• What is the Human Condition?

• Is War Just?

• What is the best way to implement access to healthcare?

• Should assisted suicide be condoned?

• Is this world real?

• What does it mean to be in love and have friends?

• Can we prove gods exist?

• Should nurses be friends with their patients?

• How is our mind related to our bodies?

• What is ethically right?

• How do we determine who has the right to healthcare?

• What are truth and justice?

• Do we have free will to do as we please?

• Are we in control of our lives?​

Types of Philosophical Questions

Epistemology:

- What is knowledge, and how is it acquired?

- How do we distinguish between true beliefs and false beliefs?

- What is the relationship between perception, reason, and knowledge?

- How do we know that we are not living in a simulation and that our perceptions of the world are accurate?

- What is the role of intuition in acquiring knowledge, and how reliable is it?

- Can we know things beyond our direct experience, such as the existence of other minds or the laws of nature?

Ethics:

- What is the nature of morality, and how do we determine what is right and wrong?

- How do cultural norms and values influence ethical judgments and decision-making?

- What is the relationship between individual freedom and social responsibility?

- Is it ever morally justifiable to break the law, and if so, under what circumstances?

- How do cultural norms and values shape our attitudes toward issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment?

- Is morality objective, or is it a matter of subjective opinion and cultural practice?

Metaphysics:

- What is the nature of reality, and what can we know about it?

- What is the relationship between mind and body, and how do they interact?

- What is the nature of time, space, and causality?

- What is the relationship between mind and body, and how do we explain mental phenomena such as consciousness and free will?

- What is the nature of causality, and how do we explain the relationship between cause and effect?

- Is reality fundamentally material, or does it include immaterial or spiritual aspects?