Learn About Philosophy in a Modern Online Course
Have you always been interested in what Philosophy is and are you looking to get into the subject yourself? Or do you want to deepen your knowledge of certain aspects to supplement your Philosophy studies? Or do practical guidelines to questions of ethics interest you?
You can find suitable online courses in many of these subjects within the field of philosophy. You can choose from several dozen e-learning offers in our directory and learn more or just let yourself be inspired.
Philosophy as one of the Oldest Sciences
People have philosophized for as long as they have existed. An exact definition of philosophy is hard though: in general, it is about striving for knowledge about the world. Philosophers try amongst other things to understand the meaning of life.
Western Philosophy as a science arose in antiquity as an extension of the existing traditions and myths. The first philosophers investigated this more and more systematically and scientifically. Well-known pioneers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle (the majority of Western philosophy was, as is well known, rooted in ancient Greece).
Philosophy in the Middle Ages was often about the relationship of Christian belief and knowledge (e.g., proof of the existence of God). Famous thinkers like Descartes ("I think, therefore I am"), Rousseau and Kant were active in the modern era. Later famous philosophers such as Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Wittgenstein came in the 19th and 20th century, each of whom added new facets to philosophical thought.
Along with Western philosophy, there is of course a similarly extensive Asian and Islamic tradition of thinking.
Various Sub-Topics of Philosophy
Philosophy is a combination of various sub-topics. A distinction is often made between:
- Logic, which concerns itself with the rules of correct thinking (i.e., with reasoning and correct argumentation);
- Metaphysics, which is concerned with "ultimate questions" (Why does the world exist? Does God exist? What is the difference between body and soul?); and
- Ethics (Moral Philosophy), which considers the morally correct actions of humans more practically.
Naturally, there are other specialist areas of philosophy, like for example philosophy of law or political philosophy.
You will find high-quality online courses in many of these topic areas in our directory.
Dozens of Philosophy Video Courses from Top Institutions
Many of the e-learning courses in Philosophy in our directory are offered by large international MOOC platforms like edX or Coursera. The course content often comes from well-known top universities.
Browse all the available courses now!