How can we approach questions when science cannot provide answers? The ancient field of philosophy is critically important in the light of profound uncertainty and on account of the collapse in credibility of many traditional sources of value systems.
Resources providing an overall introduction to philosophy:
What is Philosophy?: Video #1 from “Crash Course Philosophy”
“What is Philosophy? The meaning of philosophy” from PHILO-notes
18.1 How philosophy changes the world
18.1.1 When philosophers were mistaken
18.1.2 The positive impact of philosophy
18.1.3 The potential power of transcendent thinking
“Transcending Conditioned Ways of Thinking” by Eckhart Tolle
18.2 Constraints on clear thinking
18.2.1 Philosophical biases and fallacies
18.2.2 How language moulds thought
“How language shapes the way we think” – Lera Boroditsky at TED
18.3 Implications of modern science and tech for traditional worldviews
A single brain may host more than one consciousness – Eran Zaidel
“Life After Death” with Sean Carroll
“God is not a Good Theory” with Sean Carroll
Evidence of many flaws in human design
“Human Errors: A Panorama Of Our Glitches, From Pointless Bones To Broken Genes” with Nathan Lents
18.4 Theories of mind
18.4.1 Materialism and alternatives
“Can Brain Alone Explain Consciousness?” by Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn
“Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality” by Anil Seth
“Can You Upload Your Mind & Live Forever” by Kurzgesagt
18.4.2 Free will
Sam Harris on “Free Will”
18.5 Theories of values
18.5.1 Consequentialism and alternatives
18.5.2 Good and evil
18.5.3 Virtue signalling
18.5.4 Crime and punishment
18.6 Expanding moral concern
18.6.1 Evaluating unborn generations
18.6.2 Attitudes toward animals
18.6.3 Attitudes toward AIs
18.7 Potential foundations for philosophy
18.7.1 Approaches to determine ultimate priorities
18.7.2 Strengths and weaknesses of religions
18.7.3 Strengths and weaknesses of humanism
18.7.4 Evolving a framework for ethics fit for the 2020s
Vital Syllabus 