Classics of Western Philosophy
A survey of the Western philosophical tradition through major thinkers including Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Cavendish, Hume, and Kant. The course works through core questions in philosophy: the nature of the mind, arguments for and against the existence of God, the foundations of knowledge, and what makes a life good. Alongside the primary texts, it traces how scientific discoveries, religious controversy, and political upheaval reshaped philosophical outlooks across centuries, from ancient Athens through the early modern period. Materials come from MIT OpenCourseWare and include readings, lecture notes, and assignments used in MIT's own undergraduate curriculum, free to access under a Creative Commons license. No certificate is offered, but the full set of course materials, including problem sets and study questions, is available for self-paced study.