We create art for a multitude of purposes: entertainment, education, communication, etc. In this class, we will examine the way philosophers use literary strategies to transmit their ideas. Through an examination of Plato, Descartes, Aquinas, Kant, Hume, and Mill, among others — we’ll learn how to read philosophy, and how to write about it. Students will have to craft essays in which they attempt to answer some of the same questions these philosophers spent their lives working on. Along the way, we will introduce ourselves to some of the major topics in contemporary philosophy: from epistemology, to ethics, to philosophy of religion, and beyond. 

Departmental approval is required for this course.