Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

Introduction to Philosophy

The questions philosophers have argued about for 2,500 years and the tools to argue them yourself: valid arguments and common fallacies, what knowledge is, mind, identity and free will, right and wrong, justice and liberty, arguments about God and the meaning of life, and how to write a philosophy essay. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Thinking like a philosopher

    Put an argument in standard form, judge its validity and soundness, and diagnose common fallacies.

    • What philosophy is
    • Arguments
    • Fallacies
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Knowledge

    Explain the justified true belief account of knowledge, Gettier cases, rationalism, empiricism and replies to skepticism.

    • What knowledge is
    • Reason and experience
    • Skepticism and evidence
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Mind, self and free will

    Compare dualism, physicalism and functionalism, theories of personal identity, and positions on free will, using thought experiments as tests.

    • The mind and the body
    • Personal identity
    • Free will
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Right and wrong

    Apply utilitarian, Kantian and virtue ethics to a moral case and evaluate the strengths of each.

    • Consequences
    • Duties
    • Character
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Justice and the state

    Compare social contract theories, Rawls and Nozick on justice, and Mill and Berlin on liberty.

    • The social contract
    • Justice
    • Liberty
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Big questions and philosophical writing

    Explain classic arguments about God and existentialist ideas fairly, and write a philosophy essay with a thesis, objection and reply.

    • Arguments about God
    • Meaning and existence
    • Writing philosophy
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 2 · What knowledge is

Worked example: a Gettier-style case

  1. You look at the clock in the hall; it reads 2:00, and you believe it is 2:00.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished introduction to philosophy: you can put an argument in standard form, tell valid from sound and name the fallacy in a weak one, explain what knowledge is and why Gettier cases trouble the classic account, weigh dualism, physicalism and functionalism and the main views on identity and free will, apply utilitarian, Kantian and virtue ethics to a hard case, compare Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Rawls, Nozick and Mill on government, justice and liberty, set out arguments about God and existentialist ideas fairly, and write a short philosophy essay with a thesis, an objection and a reply. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 taking or considering a philosophy elective, students who like debate, ethics or big questions and want the tools behind them, students heading toward law, politics or the humanities, and homeschool families who want a complete, balanced philosophy unit.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, free peer-reviewed entries on every topic in the course: plato.stanford.edu
  2. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: iep.utm.edu
  3. Edmund Gettier, Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?, Analysis, 1963
  4. Philippa Foot, The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double Effect, Oxford Review, 1967, the source of the trolley case
  5. Public-domain texts read in summary: Descartes, Meditations, 1641; Hobbes, Leviathan, 1651; Locke, Second Treatise of Government, 1689; Kant, Groundwork, 1785; Mill, On Liberty, 1859: gutenberg.org

Introduction to Philosophy is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It presents each position and its strongest objections fairly and does not ask students to adopt any religious, moral or political view. Quotations are short and from public-domain works or are paraphrased. It does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.