A. Introduction to Philosophy
Topics

Each Unit consists of an Introduction describing the philosophical topic or problem area, followed by a short story and two dialogues

Unit 1
'The Possible World Machine'
The idea of a 'thought experiment', and the concepts of necessity and possibility. Are possible worlds real?

Unit 2
'The Black Box'
Determinism and the explanation/ prediction of human behaviour. The Problem of freedom of the will.

Unit 3
'Walkabout'
The question of the existence of a non-physical mind/soul. The relation between mind and body.

Unit 4
'A Case of Doubt'
The nature and extent of human knowledge. Can scepticism be refuted?

Unit 5
'A Lesson in Biology'
The problem of other minds. The question of 'animal rights'.

Unit 6
'The Insurance Policy'
What is the nature of the self? The criteria for personal identity.

Unit 7
'A Moral Tale'
Is there a rational basis for ethical judgements? The problem of moral relativity and the challenge of subjectivism.

Unit 8
'The Good Witness'
The reality of the past. Realist versus anti-realist accounts of the nature of truth.

Unit 9
'The Fatalists'
The reality of future times. Arguments for and against the theory of fatalism.

Unit 10
'The Ministry of Perception'
The problem of perception. The common sense view of perception versus the scientific account.

Unit 11
'Dr Johnson's Boots'
Berkeley's theory that all objects of perception are nothing more than 'ideas' in God's mind.

Unit 12
'Space Hopper'
What is space? Could there exist two or more spaces that were spatially unrelated to one another?

Unit 13
'The Window of Consciousness'
The passage of time and the reality of 'now'. Attempts to define the nature of time.

Unit 14
'Message from a Lonely Planet'
Implications of the solipsist theory that 'my world is the only world', and attempts to refute the theory.

Unit 15
'Morgan's Farewell'
Is it rational to fear death? Ethics of capital punishment.