David Egan Philosophy

Online Philosophy Courses

Life is busy. Our days get so filled with practical matters that we can lose sight of the bigger picture. Philosophy is about getting that bigger picture in view and examining it carefully.

I offer ten-week online courses where we discuss important works of philosophy from the ancient world to the present and across a range of philosophical traditions. We meet once per week for 75 minutes over Zoom. These meetings are accompanied by asynchronous video lectures, usually 40 to 60 minutes in length.

My aim isn’t simply to teach philosophy but to create a community where we learn together. The principle that inspires our discussion classes is simple: Socrates discovered 2400 years ago that the best method for doing philosophy is in conversation. The weekly video lectures provide expert guidance, unpacking the arguments and framing the issues for discussion. But those lectures are just a prelude to the main event: a structured conversation between curious and open minds.
These courses don’t promise any practical benefit. The point is to step back from our practical concerns and inquire into the “big questions” about life and its purpose that the demands of daily life so often distract us from.

Courses Available

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Thinking about the End: Philosophy and Death

Online Course - January 2024

The one thing most certain about life is also one of the hardest to think about: that it will end. The mind has a tendency to recoil at the very thought of death. Holding this thought in view with clarity, courage, and sensitivity is very difficult. Over the ten weeks of this course, we will try to do just that.

We won’t do this alone. We will grapple with questions and answers offered up by a diverse group of thinkers, from ancient Greece, Rome, India, and China, and from the 20th and 21st centuries. 

Among the questions we will ask are: Is death something we have reason to fear? Would an immortal life be desirable? (How) does death give meaning to life? And how might an encounter with death change a person’s perspective on life?

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An Introduction to Philosophy in Ten Dangerous Ideas

Self-Guided Online Course

New Format! Do you want to study philosophy at your own pace and schedule but with expert guidance to help you along? This self-guided online course gives you access to texts, video lectures, and additional resources, as well as the option of one-on-one meetings with David to discuss the material.

The best philosophers are unafraid to follow a line of reasoning wherever it might lead. Sometimes their reasoning leads them to surprising places. This course offers an introduction to philosophy by way of ten arguments that challenge us with bold, and sometimes unsettling, conclusions. Our survey covers philosophers from the Greek, Chinese, Buddhist, and Islamic traditions, as well as contemporary thinkers.

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Course Price

Past Students Experience

View sample video lectures from past courses​

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