EdX

Introduction to Philosophy: God, Knowledge and Consciousness (edX)

Offered by MIT, MITx,
Introduction to Philosophy: God, Knowledge and Consciousness (edX)

Learn how to ask and answer big questions. Pursue a verified certificate to have your work graded and commented upon by professional philosophers. This philosophy course has two goals. The first goal is to introduce you to the things that philosophers think about.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see EdX's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

We will look at some perennial philosophical problems:

  • Is there a God?
  • What is knowledge, and how do we get it?
  • What is the place of our consciousness in the physical world?
  • Do we have free will?
  • How do we persist over time, as our bodily and psychological traits change?

The second goal is to get you thinking philosophically yourself. This will help you develop your critical reasoning and argumentative skills more generally. Along the way we will draw from late, great classical authors and influential contemporary figures.
What you'll learn

  • How to construct and analyze philosophical arguments
  • How to write clearly and communicate complicated ideas effectively
  • Arguments for and against the existence of God
  • The distinction between epistemic and practical rationality
  • Theories of Knowledge
  • Physicalist and Non-Physicalist theories of consciousness
  • Free Will and Determinism
  • Personal Identity
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Alfabetização Midiática, Informacional e Diálogo Intercultural - UNESCO e UNICAMP (Coursera) Coursera
Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP

Alfabetização Midiática, Informacional e Diálogo Intercultural - UNESCO e UNICAMP (Coursera)

Este curso quer pensar junto com você sobre um fenômeno recente no Brasil, que é a presença de uma grande quantidade de informação via mundo digital. Vamos mostrar diferentes caminhos do que podemos fazer com essa quantidade incrível de midias e como participar da construção de conteúdo digital de maneira sóbria e segura.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Utopedia: Educación para la sociedad del conocimiento (edX) EdX
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - UC3M,UC3Mx

Utopedia: Educación para la sociedad del conocimiento (edX)

Emerge una sociedad del conocimiento distinta a la industrial y necesita una educación adaptada a otras exigencias de formación. ¿Cuáles y por qué? Múltiples y diversas manifestaciones muestran que se están produciendo unos profundos cambios en el mundo. El modelo de la sociedad industrial está dejando paso a un nuevo modelo de sociedad, aún difuso, en el que la capacidad de transformar la información en conocimiento es clave.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Ethical Issues in Data Science (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

Ethical Issues in Data Science (Coursera)

Computing applications involving large amounts of data – the domain of data science – impact the lives of most people in the U.S. and the world. These impacts include recommendations made to us by internet-based systems, information that is available about us online, techniques that are used for security and surveillance, data that is used in health care, and many more. In many cases, they are affected by techniques in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Idealismo Filosófico: Cómo hacer Mundos con Ideas (edX) EdX
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid,UAMx

Idealismo Filosófico: Cómo hacer Mundos con Ideas (edX)

Aprende cómo el idealismo filosófico y la cosmovisión influyen en tu perspectiva del mundo actual para así mejorar tu vida. ¿Qué es el Idealismo? ¿Qué es una cosmovisión? ¿Cuántas hay? ¿Cómo es que las ideas hacen mundos? ¿Se puede seguir siendo hoy idealista? Todo empieza el día que uno descubre que las cosas no son lo que parecen; entonces empieza a creer en el poder de las ideas, de las propias ideas.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture (Coursera) Coursera
Sungkyunkwan University - SKKU

Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture (Coursera)

This course will give you the cultural and historical background to begin your journey into Korean philosophy, and there is no prerequisite knowledge on philosophy required. Anybody who either has an interest in Korean culture, maybe through K-Dramas or K-pop, or an interest in philosophy from a cross-cultural perspective, are all welcome.

Nov 23rd 2026
4 Weeks
The Epistemic Quest for Truth: Introduction to epistemology (Coursera) Coursera
Erasmus University Rotterdam

The Epistemic Quest for Truth: Introduction to epistemology (Coursera)

The introduction of the internet and of social media has drastically changed our information position. We live in a time of ‘truth decay’: the distinction between opinions and facts is blurred, opinions have more impact than facts, and sources of factual information are increasingly distrusted. Since philosophers love truth, they deplore these tendencies. But what can they do about them? In this course, you will be invited to reflect on whether, in what sense and to what extent, 2500 years of normative epistemology, or theory of knowledge, can be put into practice and help to reduce truth decay.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Conscious Mind - A Philosophical Road Trip  (edX) EdX
Trinity College, Hartford,TrinityX

The Conscious Mind - A Philosophical Road Trip (edX)

Explore the worlds of sense, thought and the mind, as revealed through the philosophical discipline of phenomenology. In ordinary life we barely notice the operations of our own minds. In The Conscious Mind - A Philosophical Road Trip, we will illuminate what we take for granted in perception, action, and interaction with others. We’ll explore this mindful awareness through demonstrations, illusions, brainteasers, thought experiments, riddles and jokes, all designed to shake you loose from your ordinary assumptions about the way consciousness works.

This course is archived
5-12 Weeks
Justice (edX) EdX
HarvardX,Harvard University

Justice (edX)

Justice, one of the most famous courses taught at Harvard College, is an introduction to moral and political philosophy, offering an opportunity to discuss contemporary dilemmas and controversies. Taught by lauded Harvard professor Michael Sandel, Justice explores critical analysis of classical and contemporary theories of justice, including discussion of present-day applications.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Intellectual Humility: Theory (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Intellectual Humility: Theory (Coursera)

Faced with difficult questions people often tend to dismiss and marginalize dissent. Political and moral disagreements can be incredibly polarizing, and sometimes even dangerous. And whether it’s Christian fundamentalism, Islamic extremism, or militant atheism, religious dialogue remains tinted by arrogance, dogma, and ignorance. The world needs more people who are sensitive to reasons both for and against their beliefs, and are willing to consider the possibility that their political, religious and moral beliefs might be mistaken. The world needs more intellectual humility.

Nov 23rd 2026
3 Weeks
Digital Wellbeing and Productivity (edX) EdX
Jesus College, University of Cambridge

Digital Wellbeing and Productivity (edX)

Individuals and organisations now face the challenge of finding a healthy balance between productivity and downtime. How can we adapt to changes in our digital lives, while remaining healthy and happy? What habits can help us get the most out of our time and energy online? How can we best manage digital wellbeing while maintaining productive digital habits? And how can individuals, teams, businesses, and institutions learn from research-based knowledge to create digital habits and skills to help us flourish together?

Self Paced
Self-Paced