Introduction to Philosophy: What is Philosophy? (PHIL1002)
Information valid for Semester 1, 2025
Course level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
School
Historical & Philosophical Inq
Units
2
Duration
One Semester
Attendance mode
In Person
Class hours
Lecture 2 Hours/ Week
Tutorial 1 Hour/ Week
Incompatible
PHIL1010, PHIL1012, PHIL7140
Course enquiries
Doctor Peter Evans (Semester 1, St Lucia, In person)
Doctor Josh Szymanski (Semester 1, St Lucia, In person)
Professor Marguerite La Caze (Semester 2, St Lucia, In person)
Professor Deborah Brown (Semester 2, St Lucia, In person)
Study Abroad
This course is pre-approved for Study Abroad and Exchange students.
Current course offerings
| Course offerings | Location | Mode | Course Profile |
| Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025) | St Lucia | In Person | Course Profile |
| Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025) | St Lucia | In Person | Profile unavailable |
Please Note: Course profiles marked as not available may still be in development.
Course description
This introductory course sets out to investigate the question 'What is Philosophy?' by presenting a series of Western and Indigenous philosophical approaches from across history. Ranging from Ancient Greek and Indigenous Australasian, through to Early Modern and 20th century European, feminist, and postcolonial philosophy, this course explores the trajectory of the Western philosophical tradition (and its critics), exploring questions such as: What is wisdom? Does God exist? Can we know anything for certain? What is reality? What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to have a body, a gender, a race? Are we fundamentally free? What is the relation between action and thought? In the process of examining these questions, this course explores what philosophy is and what philosophers do and considers the purpose of 'philosophy' as both a field of study and a way of life.
