Philosophy: Big Questions

Undergraduate | 2026

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Area/Catalogue
PHIL 1001
Course ID icon
Course ID
201012
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
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Unit value
6
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Course level
1
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
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University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

This course is an overview of philosophical approaches to some of the deepest and most eternal questions confronting us: ‘What is there?’, ‘What are we?’, ‘What is a good life?’, and ‘Why are we here?’. Topics to be examined include the nature of personal identity, relativism and objectivism in ethics, the good life, and the existence of God. 

  • Personal Identity: What makes me the same person through time?
  • Meta-ethics & Value Theory: Can moral standards be true? What does a good life consist in? 
  • The Nature and Existence of God: Does God exist? Could belief in God be rational?

Course learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the main debates around personal identity, relativism vs. objectivism in ethics, the good life, and the existence of God.
  • Create and revise extended written arguments on the nature of personal identity, relativism and objectivism in ethics, the good life, and core topics in the philosophy of religion.
  • Analyse and evaluate arguments about the nature of personal identity, relativism vs. objectivism in ethics, the good life, and core topics in the philosophy of religion.
  • Reflect on philosophical problems about personal identity, relativism vs. objectivism in ethics, the good life, and core topics in the philosophy of religion and communicate thoughts and ideas about those problems effectively.

Assessment

Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Short Response Questions, Essay, Exam