Philosophy has been studied for thousands of years, with rich strands of tradition spanning time and cultures from East to West. But in our current technological age, one might wonder, does philosophy still hold relevance?

We argue that philosophy is as important now as it has ever been. This relevance extends beyond metaphysical musings, such as pondering “What’s the meaning of life?“. A quick glance at the daily news reveals a multitude of ethical dilemmas that demand critical thinking and logical reasoning to effectively address.

Moreover, emerging insights from the intersection of philosophy and science are aiding our understanding of complex subjects, such as cognition and consciousness. These insights, however, invariably raise even more questions, underscoring the continuous relevance of philosophical inquiry.

At its core, philosophy represents a methodical approach to questioning and exploration. It offers a toolkit for building knowledge and finding solace in various ways, from argumentative dialogue to mindfulness practices. Like any expansive discipline, philosophy encompasses many branches.

In this article, we have compiled a series of online courses to help you explore the many facets of philosophy.

Subjects

For your convenience, we’ve broken down the list by topic. Click on a subject to jump to the corresponding section:

• Introductory Philosophy
• Ethics & Society
• Spirituality & Enlightenment
• Logic & Reasoning
• Philosophy & Cultures
• Famous Philosophers
• Philosophy & Science

More Courses

If you don’t find what you need in this article, have a look at our other collections of scientific courses:

• 900 Free Computer Science Courses from World’s Top Universities
• 650+ Physics Online Courses You Can Take for Free
• 200 Chemistry Courses to Expand Your Knowledge of the World
• 120 Math Online Courses from the World’s Top Universities
• 100+ Free Online Courses and Webinars on AI in Healthcare

You can find all our free certificate articles here.

Introductory Philosophy Online Courses

Introduction to Philosophy
University of Edinburgh via Coursera
This course will introduce you to some of the main areas of research in contemporary philosophy. Each module a different philosopher will talk you through some of the most important questions and issues in their area of expertise.
★★★★☆ (74 ratings)

Comprendere la filosofia
University of Naples Federico II via edX
Un viaggio nella storia della filosofia tra passato e presente
★★★★★ (23 ratings)

Relativism
University of California, Irvine via Coursera
Relativism is an ancient philosophical doctrine which has recurred time and again in the history of philosophy. It has also transcended the boundaries of that discipline, for it has shaped much of the methodology in anthropology and sociology, as well as in critical theory and literary studies.
★★★★☆ (1 rating)

Thought Experiments: An introduction to philosophy
Erasmus University Rotterdam via Coursera
Doing philosophy is like seeing a movie and wondering what will happen next, or what you would do in the same situation, or what’s real and what’s merely make-believe.

Skepticism
University of California, Irvine via Coursera
Skepticism is about doubt, and doubt is everywhere in the world around us today. There are doubts about whether man-made climate change is real, whether vaccinations are harmful, whether we can trust our politicians or our media, and so on. When is such skepticism warranted, and when does it stray into unreasonable territory?

Introducing philosophy
The Open University via OpenLearn
Ever wondered what it would be like to study philosophy? This free course, Introducing philosophy, will introduce you to the teaching methods employed and the types of activities and assignments …

Philosophy for Children and P.E.A.C.E.
University of Naples Federico II via EMMA
This course aims to demonstrate how important philosophy is to the development of critical and creative thinking.

Imagination: The missing mystery of philosophy
The Open University via OpenLearn
What is imagination and can philosophy define it in any meaningful way? This free course, Imagination: The missing mystery of philosophy, will introduce you to some of the possible answers to these…

Philosophy
Serious Science via YouTube

Philosophy
CEC via YouTube

What is Philosophy?
Jeffrey Kaplan via YouTube

Ethics & Society Online Courses

Justice
Harvard University via edX
This introduction to moral and political philosophy is one of the most popular courses taught at Harvard College.
★★★★★ (53 ratings)

Moralities of Everyday Life
Yale University via Coursera
How can we explain kindness and cruelty? Where does our sense of right and wrong come from? Why do people so often disagree about moral issues? This course explores the psychological foundations of our moral lives.
★★★★★ (42 ratings)

Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion
University of Edinburgh via Coursera
Philosophy, Science and Religion mark three of the most fundamental modes of thinking about the world and our place in it. Are these modes incompatible? Put another way: is the intellectually responsible thing to do to ‘pick sides’ and identify with one of these approaches at the exclusion of others?
★★★★☆ (23 ratings)

On Strategy : What Managers Can Learn from Philosophy – PART 1
École Centrale Paris via Coursera
In the expression “creative thinking”, the keyword is not creativity; the keyword is thinking. With the help of great philosophers, you will rediscover the art of thinking.
★★★★☆ (16 ratings)

Effective Altruism
Princeton University via Coursera
Effective altruism is built on the simple but unsettling idea that living a fully ethical life involves doing the most good one can. In this course you will examine this idea’s philosophical underpinnings; meet remarkable people who have restructured their lives in accordance with it; and think about how effective altruism can be put into practice in your own life.
★★★★☆ (11 ratings)

Unethical Decision Making in Organizations
University of Lausanne via Coursera
This course, a seminar on the dark side of the force’ will teach you how strong organizational contexts push good people towards unethical decisions. You will also learn how to protect yourself and your organization against such forces lurking in the dark.
★★★★☆ (6 ratings)

Power and Responsibility: Doing Philosophy with Superheroes
Harvard University via edX
Pow! Bang! Kaboom! Power and Responsibility: Doing Philosophy with Superheroes, a SmithsonianX and Harvard Division of Continuing Education course, blends superheroes narratives with the core areas of philosophy.
★★★★★ (1 rating)

Global Ethics: An Introduction
The Open University via FutureLearn
Explore the key ethical theories surrounding global challenges and learn how philosophy can be used to address these problems.

Philosophy: the nature of persons
The Open University via OpenLearn
What is a person? This free course, Philosophy: the nature of persons, examines this philosophical question concerning the nature of personhood. You will examine whether a ‘person’ is the same as a…

Exploring philosophy: faking nature
The Open University via OpenLearn
Commercial exploitation of nature, such as mining, fracking, or generating hydro-electric power, often damages the way the natural environment looks. What if the environment could be restored to …

Political Philosophy: An Introduction
via iversity
Are you interested in politics? Do you feel the need to have a clearer understanding of it, beyond the conventional language of media and social networks? Well, this course might provide the help and the stimulus you are looking for.
★★★☆☆ (1 rating)

Philosophy of the Humanities
Leiden University via YouTube

International Leadership: Politics and Philosophy in Leadership
Coventry University via FutureLearn
Evaluate leadership philosophies and identify and distinguish these characteristics in various political leaders and scenarios.

PHIL103: Moral and Political Philosophy
via Saylor Academy

Jurisprudence: Introduction to the Philosophy of Law
University Of Surrey via FutureLearn
Discover the philosophical underpinnings of the law, from making legal arguments to our moral obligation to obey the law.

Spirituality & Enlightenment Online Courses

A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment
Indian School of Business via Coursera
This course draws content from a variety of fields, including psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral decision theory to offer a tested and practical recipe for leading a life of happiness and fulfillment.
★★★★★ (508 ratings)

Philosophy, Science and Religion: Religion and Science
University of Edinburgh via Coursera
Philosophy, Science and Religion mark three of the most fundamental modes of thinking about the world and our place in it. Are these modes incompatible? Put another way: is the intellectually responsible thing to do to ‘pick sides’ and identify with one of these approaches at the exclusion of others? Or, are they complementary or mutually supportive?
★★★★☆ (65 ratings)

Success: Practical Thinking Skills
Hong Kong Polytechnic University via edX
This award-winning course aims to sharpen your competitive edge in work and life. It empowers you with positive values and practical problem-solving skills, including creative strategies for addressing challenges from COVID-19.
★★★★★ (62 ratings)

Know Thyself – The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge: The Examined Life
University of Edinburgh via Coursera
According to legend, inscribed on walls of the temple on the sacred site of Delphi in Ancient Greece were two premier injunctions: NOTHING IN EXCESS, and KNOW THYSELF. This course will be an examination of the latter injunction in an effort to discover what self-knowledge is, why it might be valuable, and what, if any, limitations it might face.
★★★★★ (30 ratings)

Perdón y reconciliación: cómo sanar heridas
The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana via edX
Aprende las herramientas básicas, teóricas y prácticas para perdonar y sanar heridas mediante la reconciliación. Este curso en línea ofrecerá propuestas de colaboración y diálogo entre actores enfrentados.
★★★★★ (23 ratings)

Finding Purpose and Meaning In Life: Living for What Matters Most
University of Michigan via Coursera
Welcome to Finding Purpose and Meaning in Life: Living for What Matters Most!
★★★★★ (4 ratings)

Mindfulness and Well-being: Living with Balance and Ease
Rice University via Coursera
Life with Balance and Ease will not only cover some of the fundamentals of mindfulness, but will focus on connecting to the innate resources and abilities that will allow for a more effective response to life’s challenges, build resiliency, and invite peace and ease into everyday life.
★★★★★ (1 rating)

Death with Shelly Kagan
Yale University via YouTube
This course will examine a number of issues that arise once we begin to reflect on our mortality.

Introducing the philosophy of religion
The Open University via OpenLearn
In this free course, Introducing the philosophy of religion, Timothy Chappell, Professor of Philosophy, asks what the words ‘God’ and ‘religion’ mean, and what it means to ask philosophical …

Mind-Body Philosophy of the East & West | Spiritual Dualism in the History of Thought
Wondrium via YouTube

Logic & Reasoning Online Courses

Introduction to Logic
Stanford University via Coursera
This course is an introduction to Logic from a computational perspective. It shows how to encode information in the form of logical sentences; it shows how to reason with information in this form; and it provides an overview of logic technology and its applications – in mathematics, science, engineering, business, law, and so forth.
★★★☆☆ (20 ratings)

Critical Thinking at University: An Introduction
University of Leeds via FutureLearn
Critical thinking is a vital skill for university study whatever your discipline. Prepare for university now.
★★★★★ (145 ratings)

Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments
Duke University via Coursera
In this course, you will learn what an argument is. The definition of argument will enable students to identify when speakers are giving arguments and when they are not. Next, we will learn how to break an argument into its essential parts, how to put them in order to reveal their connections..
★★★★☆ (11 ratings)

Philosophy and Critical Thinking
University of Queensland via edX
META101x: Thinking about thinking.
★★★★☆ (5 ratings)

Language, Proof and Logic
Stanford University via edX
The fundamental question that we will address in this course is “when does one statement necessarily follow from another” — or in the terminology of the course, “when is one statement a logical consequence of another”.
★★★★☆ (3 ratings)

Reasoning Across the Disciplines
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill via Coursera
Critical reasoning skills are a key success factor for students entering their first year of college. They must be able to think logically and form arguments. This course, designed with incoming college freshmen in mind but open to anyone, provides an essential grounding in critical reasoning skills.
★★★★★ (1 rating)

Semantics of First-Order Logic
Stanford University via edX
First-order logic is a restricted, formalized language which is particularly suited to the precise expression of ideas. The language has uses in many disciplines including computer science, mathematics, linguistics and artificial intelligence.

Logic: The Language of Truth
University of York via FutureLearn
Learn how to use logic to evaluate arguments and discover more about philosophical concepts like truth-tables and logical form.

Philosophy & Cultures Online Courses

Philosophy and the Sciences: Introduction to the Philosophy of Physical Sciences
University of Edinburgh via Coursera
What is the origin of our universe? What are dark matter and dark energy? The goal of this course is to introduce you to some of the main areas and topics at the key juncture between philosophy and the physical sciences.
★★★★★ (9 ratings)

Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture
Sungkyunkwan University via Coursera
This course will give you the cultural and historical background to begin your journey into Korean philosophy, and there is no prerequisite knowledge on philosophy required.
★★★★★ (1 rating)

The Path to Happiness: What Chinese Philosophy Teaches us about the Good Life
Harvard University via edX
Why should we care about Confucius? Explore ancient Chinese philosophy, ethics, and political theory to challenge your assumptions of what it means to be happy, live a meaningful life, and change the world.
★★★★☆ (1 rating)

Introduction to Korean Philosophy
Sungkyunkwan University via FutureLearn
Get to grips with Korean philosophy as you dive into Korean history and culture with Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea.
★★★★☆ (1 rating)

The Great War and Modern Philosophy
KU Leuven University via edX
Learn how philosophers responded to the First World War and how the war changed philosophical reflection.
★★★★☆ (1 rating)

活用希臘哲學 (Understanding the Greek Philosophy)
National Taiwan University via Coursera
★★★★☆ (1 rating)

New Horizons in Chinese Philosophy | 中国哲学新视野
Tsinghua University via edX
This course is an introduction to classical Chinese thoughts advanced by Confucius, Mozi, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Mencius, Xunzi, Hanfeizi and other legalist thinkers. It is designed for those who are interested in philosophy and curious about Chinese culture.

China’s Political and Intellectual Foundations: From Sage Kings to Confucius
Harvard University via edX
Learn about China’s origins, its integral early thinkers, and competing states and schools of thought.

In Search for the Origins of Korean Philosophy
Sungkyunkwan University via Coursera
This course will give you an insight into the formative years of “Korean” culture and thought and uncover together who were the earliest people we could describe as being “Korean.” Korea is unique, but not of a single origin.

Famous Philosophers Online Courses

Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors
University of Pennsylvania via Coursera
What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece.
★★★★★ (12 ratings)

Søren Kierkegaard – Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity
University of Copenhagen via Coursera
Danish thinker Søren Kierkegaard (1813-55) gave one of the most penetrating analyses of this complex phenomenon of modernity. But somewhat surprisingly he seeks insight into it not in any modern thinker but rather in an ancient one, the Greek philosopher Socrates.
★★★★☆ (12 ratings)

China’s Political and Intellectual Foundations: From Sage Kings to Confucius
Harvard University via edX
Learn about China’s origins, its integral early thinkers, and competing states and schools of thought.
★★★★★ (11 ratings)

Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors
University of Pennsylvania via Coursera
What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece.
★★★★☆ (9 ratings)

Reason and Persuasion: Thinking Through Three Dialogues By Plato
National University of Singapore via Coursera
In this course we study the ancient, Socratic art of blowing up your beliefs as you go, to make sure they’re built to last. We spend six weeks studying three Platonic dialogues.
★★★★☆ (5 ratings)

Explorations in Confucian Philosophy
Nanyang Technological University via Coursera
Is Confucianism synonymous with Chinese culture? While it may be an overstatement to equate the two, there is little doubt that Confucianism pervades every level of Chinese culture and society.
★★★★★ (1 rating)

Plato, Socrates, and the Birth of Western Philosophy | 西方哲学精神探源
Tsinghua University via edX
Explore the works of Plato, Aristotle, Heraclitus and other originators of Western philosophy in an immersive study of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers.
★★☆☆☆ (1 rating)

Introduction à la philosophie de Friedrich Nietzsche
Sorbonne Universités via edX
Bienvenue à la découverte d’une philosophie subversive à l’énergie communicative, pour « esprits libres », comme Nietzsche le revendiquait lui-même.

Philosophy & Science Online Courses

Intellectual Humility: Science
University of Edinburgh via Coursera
It’s clear that the world needs more intellectual humility. But how do we develop this virtue? And why do so many people still end up so arrogant? Do our own biases hold us back from becoming as intellectually humble as we could be—and are there some biases that actually make us more likely to be humble?
★★★★★ (9 ratings)

Question Reality! Science, philosophy, and the search for meaning
Dartmouth College via edX
What is reality? Explore how physics and philosophy have changed our perspective on the nature of the universe, matter, and mind over time.
★★★★☆ (3 ratings)

Philosophy and the Sciences: Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences
University of Edinburgh via Coursera
What is our role in the universe as human agents capable of knowledge? What makes us intelligent cognitive agents seemingly endowed with consciousness?
★★★★★ (3 ratings)

Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature
Yale University via YouTube
Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature pairs central texts from Western philosophical tradition (including works by Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, Hobbes, Kant, Mill, Rawls, and Nozick) with recent findings in cognitive science and related fields.
★★★★★ (1 rating)

Philosophy, Science and Religion: Science and Philosophy
University of Edinburgh via Coursera
Is the intellectually responsible thing to do to ‘pick sides’ and identify with one of these approaches at the exclusion of others? Or, are they complementary or mutually supportive?
★★★☆☆ (1 rating)

Philosophy of Science
University of Pennsylvania via Coursera
For the last four centuries, scientists have aimed to provide us with an understanding of the world around us. By all appearances, science has made substantial progress during this time. But is this progress real or illusory? And if it is real, how has this progress been made?

The History of Medicine: Philosophy, Science, and Psychology
University of California, Santa Cruz via Coursera
“History of Medicine” provides an accessible historical and interdisciplinary perspective on medicine, focused primarily upon therapy and practice, to achieve better understanding of the scope, practice, and limits of medicine.

Knowing the Universe: History and Philosophy of Astronomy
University of Arizona via Independent
This is an introductory level course about the history and philosophy of astronomy, the oldest science. We’ll look at how humans learned to ask questions about the universe, and even before the invention of modern instruments like the telescope, learned some amazing things about their place in nature.

Environmental Philosophy: Addressing Humanity’s Most Urgent Challenges
University of Connecticut via FutureLearn
Learn to lead a sustainable lifestyle as you delve into key climate issues and understand how to address environmental challenges.

Carlo Rovelli on physics and philosophy
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics via YouTube