What is Philosophy?: Crash Course Philosophy #1

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I’m Hank Green, and you and I are about to embark on a journey.

A journey of inquiry, into the whole world. Your world.

In an effort to figure out: what gives it meaning, what makes it beautiful, where its

evils come from, and ultimately, what is the very nature of reality itself.

And along the way, we’re going to question every aspect of your own personal life -- why

you do what you do, why you think what you think, why you feel what you feel.

Now, if you’ve joined me on Crash Course before, you might say, we’ve learned about

all that stuff before -- in psychology, and biology, and anatomy and physiology.

And it’s true: Science can definitely help us understand our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

But on this particular journey, we’re going to be exploring aspects of the human condition that can’t

be explained only by hormones or neurotransmitters, by personal experiences or hereditary conditions.

Because, all of those chemicals and experiences that make us who we are, can actually raise

as many questions as they answer.

Like, if all of my decisions really are just the result of, say, how I was raised, and

what chemicals I have flowing in my brain, then are any of my choices actually free?

And if I’m not truly free to make my own decisions, or choose my own actions, then

how can I be held accountable for them?

Yeah. It’s going to be that kind of journey.

Rather than just looking at the world and describing what we see, we’ll be evaluating it.

We will take nothing as a given, set our assumptions aside -- or at least, try really hard to -- and

do our best to see the world as if we’ve never seen it before.

And for what it’s worth, we’ll also be talking about Batman, and what Dick Grayson

can teach us about the concept of identity.

And we’ll learn how The Matrix can you help understand the life and writing of Rene Descartes.

Also we’ll try to answer unanswerable questions, and puzzle over paradoxes that have plagued

geniuses for thousands of years.

It’s going to be hard, and enlightening, and frustrating, and if I do my job properly,

it’ll stick with you long after you and I have parted ways. Because:

We are going to do…philosophy!

[Theme Music]