General Philosophy

A series of lectures delivered by Peter Millican to first-year philosophy students at the University of Oxford. The lectures comprise of the 8-week General Philosophy course, delivered to first year undergraduates. These lectures aim to provide a thorough introduction to many philosophical topics and to get students and others interested in thinking about key areas of philosophy. Taking a chronological view of the history of philosophy, each lecture is split into 3 or 4 sections which outline a particular philosophical problem and how different philosophers have attempted to resolve the issue. Individuals interested in the 'big' questions about life such as how we perceive the world, who we are in the world and whether we are free to act will find this series informative, comprehensive and accessible.

1.1 An Introduction to General Philosophy
Feb 19, 2010 – 05:26
1.2 The Background of Early Modern Philosophy
Feb 19, 2010 – 15:56
1.3 Science from Aristotle to Galileo
Feb 19, 2010 – 18:15
1.4 From Galileo to Descartes
Feb 19, 2010 – 10:49
General Philosophy Lecture 1 (Slides)
Feb 19, 2010 –
2.1 Recap of General Philosophy Lecture 1
Mar 16, 2010 – 05:47
2.2 Thomas Hobbes: The Monster of Malmesbury
Mar 16, 2010 – 11:35
2.3 Robert Boyle and Isaac Newton
Mar 16, 2010 – 14:02
2.4 John Locke
Mar 16, 2010 – 12:15
2.5 Nicolas Malebranche and George Berkeley
Mar 16, 2010 – 09:30
2.6 David Hume
Mar 16, 2010 – 12:46
2.7 Overview: Kant and Modern Science
Apr 8, 2010 – 17:19
General Philosophy Lecture 2 (Slides)
Apr 8, 2010 –
3.1 Hume's Argument Concerning Induction
Apr 8, 2010 – 12:57
3.2 Responses to Hume's Famous Argument
Apr 8, 2010 – 10:02
General Philosophy Lecture 3 (Slides)
Apr 8, 2010 –
4.1 Scepticism about the External World
Apr 8, 2010 – 08:47
4.2 Possible Answers to External World Scepticism
Apr 8, 2010 – 09:09
4.3 Cartesian Dualism
Apr 8, 2010 – 14:39
4.4 The Mind-Body Problem
Apr 8, 2010 – 18:27
General Philosophy Lecture 4 (Slides)
Apr 8, 2010 –
5.1 Introduction to Knowledge
Nov 29, 2010 – 10:32
5.2 The Traditional Analysis of Knowledge
Nov 29, 2010 – 16:38
5.3 Gettier and Other Complications
Nov 29, 2010 – 14:48
5.4 Scepticism, Externalism and the Ethics of Belief
Nov 29, 2010 – 12:33
General Philosophy Lecture 5 (Slides)
Nov 29, 2010 –
6.1 Introduction to Primary and Secondary Qualities
Nov 30, 2010 – 14:32
6.2 Problems with Resemblance
Nov 30, 2010 – 10:56
6.3 Abstraction and Idealism
Nov 30, 2010 – 10:18
6.4 Making Sense of Perception
Nov 30, 2010 – 16:37
General Philosophy Lecture 6 (Slides)
Nov 30, 2010 –
7.1 Free Will, Determinism and Choice
Dec 1, 2010 – 18:48
7.2 Different Concepts of Freedom
Dec 1, 2010 – 14:06
7.3 Hume on Liberty and Necessity
Dec 1, 2010 – 10:05
7.4 Making Sense of Free Will and Moral Responsibility
Dec 1, 2010 – 09:48
General Philosophy Lecture 7 (Slides)
Dec 1, 2010 –
8.1 Introduction to Personal Identity
Dec 1, 2010 – 08:54
8.2 John Locke on Personal Identity
Dec 1, 2010 – 15:06
8.3 Problems for Locke's View of Personal Identity
Dec 1, 2010 – 09:41
8.4 Persons, Humans and Brains
Dec 1, 2010 – 11:03
General Philosophy Lecture 8 (Slides)
Dec 1, 2010 –

Recent Reviews

Dogedogedoge

Peter Millican is a Legend

this lecture series has been so helpful for understanding modern philosophy, dr. millican has distilled so much information into a digestible, enjoyable lecture series that truly helps me understand concepts that before i was really struggling to grasp. thank you!!!!!!!!
OlyDuffy

Very clear

Very neat survey. Nice stage setting for additional study. Not exactly dynamic or entertaining, but holds one's attention. Clean delivery, engaging.
Brady J. Frey

Wonderful!

I'm sitting in my San Francisco Apartment, feeding these videos through my Apple TV, from my iPad. While watching, I switch to iBooks and follow along with the PDF slides. Brilliant. The wonder of technology aside, this is an insightful and well put together sprint through philosophy. Highly recommended for beginners and experts alike!
Musajja

Thanks a bunch!

The best out of free education, and that is being over generous. Thanks again and again for each video.
Holyghost7

A GENUINE THANKS

With appreciation for a moment to ponder the notion whether "matter has the ability to 'think'........" Dr Socrates Xenophon della Robbia Holliston, Massachusetts
thefatnapoleon

Give us more

I dare you to take on Wittgenstein or Heidegger. Trust me, i would listen to that.
2.7182818284

Clear & Concise

I enjoyed these lectures. Professor Millican has a deep grasp of the subject. It is not difficult to hear which thinkers he prefers, however he does nothing to hide this preference so it is hard to call it bias. He does not seem to give unfair treatment to any of the thinkers, but the ancients are treated quickly with a heavy emphasis on the early modern period. This lecture series is not complete!