Philosophical World Views and Values - Nine Key Perspectives

This course was one of the college's most popular electives when I developed it. Now it's an open-enrollment, online course for learners everywhere!

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World Views and Values is an online course that I developed and taught for several years while teaching for a highly ranked college back in New York. Students loved the course, and it became a very popular and highly requested class. As the course developer, I retain all intellectual property rights to the course materials, so I've decided to offer this course (which typically cost students quite a lot to take) to the general public worldwide, at a significant savings.

Through the course of study, students are introduced to a selection of key thinkers, texts, and topics from the history of ideas, centered particularly but not exclusively on Philosophy. Given the theme of the course - World Views and Values - I decided to focus particularly on issues in Ethics, Social Theory, Human Nature, Metaphysics, and Theory of Knowledge.

This course includes over 50 lecture videos, over 25 handouts on the material, lots of lesson pages, quizzes to test your understanding, and plenty of other resources to help you understand these key philosophical works

The thinkers and texts discussed in the course are:

From the Ancient Period:

  • Plato's Republic (selections)
  • Epictetus' Enchiridion and Discourses (selections)

From the Medieval Period:

  • Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy

From the Early Modern Period:

  • Rene Descartes' Discourse on Method
  • Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan (selections)
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on Inequality
  • Mary Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Women (selections)

From the 19th Century:

  • Karl Marx, Alienated Labor and the Communist Manifesto

From the 20th Century:

  • Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream and Letter from a Birmingham Jail


Given that the course is open-enrollment, you can proceed through the material at your own pace. Some learners also find it enjoyable to sign up with a friend. I hope you enjoy the course!


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Your Instructor


Gregory B. Sadler
Gregory B. Sadler

After a successful career as a college professor, researcher, and administrator, I started our company, ReasonIO (with my wife and partner, Andi Sciacca) in order to help people study and apply philosophy in public, practical, and professional contexts. I continue teaching philosophy, literature, religious studies, and humanities courses at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.

I take difficult philosophical texts, thinkers, and topics, and make them accessible for everyday people. That's how philosophy gets traction and remains closely connected with real life! The work I do with ReasonIO includes online course development and teaching, public speaking, organizational and ethics consulting, tutorial sessions, development of philosophy content, and philosophical counseling.

My work and expertise covers a wide range of topics, thinkers, and texts in western philosophy, ranging through ancient, medieval, modern, and late modern periods. Among the schools, movements, and traditions I draw upon are Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Patristic and Medieval Christian thought, Dialectical thought, Existentialism, Critical Theory, and Philosophy as a Way of Life.

From 2016 to 2022, I served as the Editor of Stoicism Today. I remain a member of the Modern Stoicism, ltd. team. I am also the producer of the Half Hour Hegel series, which is nearing its completion. I have authored one book (Reason Fulfilled By Revelation), edited two volumes (Stoicism Today Selected Essays, volume 3 and volume 4), and published dozens of articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries. Although I work in significant part outside of the academy, I remain actively engaged in research and scholarship.

In recent years, I have held a Research Residency at the Institute for Saint Anselm Studies, been a Visiting Scholar position at European Graduate School, and was a Charles Chesnutt Library Fellow. I am also an APPA-certified Philosophical Counselor.


Course Curriculum


  Introduction to the Class
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  Some Preliminaries - About Philosophy As A Field
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  Section 1: Plato's Republic (selections)
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  Section 2: Epictetus' Discourses (selections)
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  Section 3: Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy
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  Section 4: Rene Descartes' Discourse on Method
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  Section 5: Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan (selections)
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  Section 6: Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Discourse on The Origins of Inequality
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  Section 7: Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women
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  Section 8: Karl Marx's Estranged Labor and Communist Manifesto
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  Section 9: Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail and I Have a Dream
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  Wrapping Up
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What will I get by purchasing this course?
You get access to 40+ course videos, featuring lectures on 9 important thinkers. You'll also find lesson pages, handouts, quizzes, discussion forums, and reflection questions on each of the nine thinkers covered in the class!
Do I need a previous background in Philosophy to take this course?
Not at all! This course was designed specifically for students who don't have a previous background in Philosophy.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.