“Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.” ―David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature (Book I, Part IV, Section VII)
Contents
- Tips for Succeeding in College
- Critical Thinking
- Introduction to Philosophy
- Introduction to Ethics
- Philosophy of Art
- Introduction to Symbolic Logic
- Introduction to World Religions
Tips for Succeeding in College
Too often, students enroll in online courses with the mistaken assumption the courses will take less time to “attend” and successfully complete. An online course requires the same time commitments as does its on campus equivalent. Students should invest 9-12 hours each week in a full-term course and more for accelerated half term and summer versions of a course. Georgia State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and follows its guidelines on this matter (see SACSCOC Credit Hours Policy Statement). Students should view the time and effort they invest in their online courses as a necessary requirement for their success in mastering the material and concepts. Here are links to sites which may help students budget their time.
- Calculating Your Course Load (Austin Community College)
- Course Load Calculator
- Excel file available from Gordon State College
- Surviving College (University of Michigan-Flint)
Critical Thinking
PHIL 1010 – Critical Thinking (2)
Development of practical and logical skills important to all disciplines, with emphasis on standardizing and evaluating arguments. Students are introduced to types of arguments used across the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.
- Informal Logic
- The Fallacy Files
- Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
- Critical Thinking across the Curriculum Project, Longview Community College
- Critical Thinking on the Web
- Critical Thinking Worksite
- An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural
- Foundation for Critical Thinking
- Garth Kemerling’s Logic Tutorial
- Lee Archie’s Introduction to Logic
- The Skeptics Society
- American Rhetoric
Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 2010 – Introduction to Philosophy (3)
We will explore some fascinating questions about human existence and discuss various answers offered by philosophers–questions such as: Does God exist? How should I live my life? What is justice? What is human nature? Do we have free will? What is the meaning of life?
- American Philosophical Association
- AskPhilosophers (“You ask. Philosophers answer.”)
- The Basics of Philosophy
- ephilosopher: philosophy news, research, and discussion
- EpistemeLinks: Philosophy Resources on the Internet
- The Epistemology Research Guide
- Experimental Philosophy
- Guide to Philosophy on the Internet (no longer updated)
- In Our Time’s Philosophy Resource (BBC History of Ideas)
- The Indiana Philosophy Ontology (InPhO) Project
- The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Meta-Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
- Perseus Digital Library
- Philosopher’s Pipe – Philosophy Podcasts Piped Into One Place
- The Philosophers’ Magazine Online
- The Philosophical Gourmet Report (a ranking of graduate programs)
- Philosophy Bites (podcasts of top philosophers interviewed on bite-sized topics)
- Philosophy Born of Struggle
- Philosophy Now: A Magazine of Ideas
- Philosophy Pages (no longer updated)
- Philosophy Talk (weekly radio show)
- Philosophy TV: A Video Website Devoted to Philosophical Thinking
- The School of Life: Philosophy (videos)
- Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy
- The Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
- Society for Philosophical Inquiry (philosophy for everyone)
- Socrates
- Some Texts from Early Modern Philosophy
- Squashed Philosophers
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- The Stone
- virtual philosopher
- Wi-Phi – “A toolkit for building a better mind.”
Philosophy Videos: Galileo provides students with access to Films on Demand. This is a great resource offering hundreds of films related to the various disciplines covered at GSU and other USG institutions. You will need the current Galileo password (it changes periodically) to access the site (go here for information on the Galileo password).
Great Ideas of Philosophy I: “This series investigates core questions in philosophy, such as: Why is there something rather than nothing? What is right action? And what do we mean when we talk about the ‘mind’? Some of the world’s foremost contemporary philosophers—Richard Sorabji, Colin McGinn, Hilary Putnam, Frances Kamm, Alexander Nehamas, and Arthur Danto, to name only six—enlighten and enliven with their knowledge on these and other topics. ”
- Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts
- Ethics: What Is Right?
- Analytic Philosophy
- Continental Philosophy
- Classical Greek Philosophy
- Metaphysics: What There Is
- Philosophy of Mind
Great Ideas of Philosophy II: “Stimulating commentary by renowned philosophers whose lines of inquiry intersect the spheres of science, religion, politics, epistemology, and logic make this 6-part series an indispensable asset for the study of philosophical principles and approaches that are closely aligned with the activities and concerns of daily life. Interviews with some of the discipline’s top experts, excerpts from influential writings, and numerous on-screen charts, diagrams, and illustrations enhance each program.”
- Philosophy of Science
- Modern Philosophy
- Epistemology: What We Can Know
- Logic: The Structure of Reason
- Political Philosophy
- Philosophy of Religion
Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 2030 – Introduction to Ethics (3)
Are there universal moral truths or is morality relative. What makes actions right or wrong, people good or bad, societies just or unjust. Students will discuss ethical theories that address these questions and will debate moral issues, such as abortion, genetic engineering, animal rights, feminism, and social justice.
- Applied Ethics Links (from EpistemeLinks)
- Applied Ethics Resources on the Internet
- The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics
- Ethics Updates
- Fieser, “Ethics” (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
- Jean Beer Blumenfeld Center for Ethics
- Justice with Michael Sandel
- Marrkula Center for Ethics – Ethical Links
- The Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions
Philosophy of Art
PHIL 2040 – Philosophy of Art (3)
This course is an introduction to the philosophy of art. The course will examine what role art plays in our lives by asking questions concerning the value of art, beauty, and by inquiring into the nature or essence of the work of art. In addition, the course will interrogate and discuss the work of art itself as a product of creativity, imagination, and understanding.
Introduction to Symbolic Logic
PHIL 2500 – Introduction to Symbolic Logic (3)
Introduction to the study of how to reason correctly and evaluate the validity of arguments, using symbols to represent statements.
Introduction to World Religions
RELS 2001 – Introduction to World Religions (3)
Introduction to the academic study of the world’s major religious traditions, including their beliefs, practices, sacred texts, and moral codes. Religions to be examined may include Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Native American traditions, and African religions.
- American Academy of Religion
- American Religious Experience: Resources for Researchers of American Religions
- American Religious Identification Survey 2008
- The Association of Religion Data Archives
- British Association for the Study of Religions
- comparative-religion.com
- The Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd ed.
- This resource is available to PC students via the Gale Virtual Reference Library (login required).
- Encyclopedia of Religion and Society
- The Evolution of Religion: The Adaptive Logic of Religious Beliefs and Behaviors
- Evolutionary Religious Studies
- Exploring Religions
- The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050
- Hartford Institute for Religion Research
- International Association for the Cognitive Science of Religion
- International Association for the History of Religions
- Member and Affiliated Associations and Societies
- Internet Guide to Religion
- LEVYNA
- MERLOT: Religion
- North American Association for the Study of Religion
- Prof. Meredith McGuire’s guide for “Observing Local Religious Groups”
- The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
- Religion News
- U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
- The Pluralism Project
- Religions Dispatches
- Religion Facts
- Religion & Ethics Newsweekly (PBS)
- Religion News Service
- Religious Seasonal Days of Celebration and Holy Days
- The Religious Studies Project
- Religious Worlds
- Research Methods for the Study of Religion: An Online Training Resource
- Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Traditions of the World
- SECSOR: The Southeast Commission for the Study of Religion
- Society for the Anthropology of Religion
- Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
- Studying Religion
- Voice of the Shuttle: Religious Studies
- Virtual Religion Index
- Why Study Religion?
- Wikireligiosus
- WorldWide Religious News (WWRN)