---
title: "PHIL 101 · Big questions in philosophy"
publisher: Maestro College (Maestro Open)
lessons: 16
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy
full: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/llms-full.txt
---

# Big questions in philosophy (PHIL 101)

Explore what we can know, what the mind is, whether we're free and how to live, with thinkers from many traditions, and learn to build your own arguments.

What can you really know? Is your mind just your brain? Are your choices free? What makes an action right, a society fair or a life meaningful? People in every culture have asked these questions. This course introduces the big ones with thinkers from Greece, China, India, Africa, Europe and beyond, and teaches you how to build and test an argument so you can reach your own answers.

## Course objectives
- What philosophy is and how arguments work: premises, conclusions, validity and soundness
- Knowledge and skepticism
- The mind, consciousness, free will and personal identity
- Major ethical approaches: consequences, duties and character
- Justice, the individual and community, and the meaning of life

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## Lessons
### Unit 1: Thinking philosophically
- [What is philosophy?](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/what-is-philosophy.md)
- [How arguments work](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/how-arguments-work.md)
- [Knowledge and skepticism](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/knowledge-and-skepticism.md)
- [Challenge: argue it out](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/challenge-argue-it-out.md)

### Unit 2: Mind, freedom and the self
- [Mind and consciousness](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/mind-and-consciousness.md)
- [Do we have free will?](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/do-we-have-free-will.md)
- [Personal identity: what makes you you?](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/personal-identity-what-makes-you-you.md)
- [Challenge: the self on trial](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/challenge-the-self-on-trial.md)

### Unit 3: How should we live?
- [Consequences: doing the most good](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/consequences-doing-the-most-good.md)
- [Duties and rules](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/duties-and-rules.md)
- [Character and virtue](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/character-and-virtue.md)
- [Challenge: three lenses](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/challenge-three-lenses.md)

### Unit 4: Justice, society and meaning
- [Justice and the state](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/justice-and-the-state.md)
- [The individual and the community](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/the-individual-and-the-community.md)
- [The meaning of life](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/the-meaning-of-life.md)
- [Challenge: your philosophy so far](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/challenge-your-philosophy-so-far.md)

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.
Start with lesson 1 unless the learner asks for a specific lesson. Keep track of which lesson you are on.

## When a lesson is done
Teach one lesson at a time. A lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed for it; check each with a small task or question.
When it is complete:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson N complete: <lesson title>." (use the lesson's number and title).
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, say "Lesson N+1 of 16: <title>", and ask if they're ready to start it. Start it only when they say yes.
After the last lesson, congratulate them on finishing the course.