The Big Ideas of Philosophy
Move beyond basic definitions to engage with the world's most influential thinkers. This course bridges the gap between knowing names and applying philosophical frameworks to ethics, reality, and the self.
Like Duolingo, but for The Big Ideas of Philosophy. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
95 levels across 8 sections, about 190 minutes end to end, roughly 38 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Living the Examined Life; The Architecture of Reality; How We Know What We Know; The Self and Existence; Logic and Language; Power, Society, and Justice; The Frontiers of Philosophy; and The Deep Foundations. It assumes you already know the basics.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Big Ideas of Philosophy
- Socratic wisdom consists of recognizing the limits of one's own understanding
- The elenchus tests the consistency of a person's beliefs by cross-examining their premises
- Claiming to know what one does not know blocks the path to genuine philosophical discovery
- The goal is to reveal internal contradictions rather than simply proving the other person wrong
- Intellectual humility as a starting point for Socratic inquiry
- The purpose of the Socratic elenchus as a tool for internal consistency
- Aporia is the state of philosophical confusion that occurs when old certainties are dismantled
- Socrates sought 'universal definitions' to ensure speakers weren't talking past each other
- This state is considered progress because it clears away false 'knowledge' to make room for truth
- A precise definition must cover all instances of a concept without being too broad
- The role of aporia in the learning process
- Socratic inquiry is intended to improve the 'psyche' or soul by aligning actions with virtue
- Knowledge of the Good is inseparable from acting rightly in one's daily life
- The necessity of precise definitions in philosophical discourse
- The ethical objective of Socratic dialogue
- Hedonic calculus measures the 'extent' or number of people affected by a pleasure
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Big Ideas of Philosophy the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
When Socrates uses the 'elenchus' during a conversation, what is he primarily testing?
Get it right to open this lesson and 94 more in the app.
How to learn The Big Ideas of Philosophy, step by step
Go in order. 95 short levels across 8 sections, about 3 hours 10 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Living the Examined Life
- The Socratic Method in Practice
- Navigating Moral Dilemmas
- Virtue Ethics and Character
- 2
The Architecture of Reality
- Plato’s Forms and Universals
- Substance, Essence, and Identity
- The Mind-Body Problem
- 3
How We Know What We Know
- Rationalism vs. Empiricism
- Kant’s Copernican Revolution
- Pragmatism and Truth
- 4
The Self and Existence
- The Cogito and the Self
- Existentialism and Absurdity
- The Social Contract
- 5
Logic and Language
- The Structure of Argument
- Language and Meaning
- Paradoxes and Limits
- 6
Power, Society, and Justice
- Theories of Justice
- Marxism and Critique
- Post-Structuralism and Power
- 7
The Frontiers of Philosophy
- Philosophy of Science
- Aesthetics and Art
- Ethics of the Future
- 8
The Deep Foundations
- The Evolution of Inquiry
- Phenomenology: The Study of Experience
- The Value of Philosophy
8 sections · 24 units · 95 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about The Big Ideas of Philosophy
How do I learn The Big Ideas of Philosophy?
Go in order: start with Living the Examined Life, then The Architecture of Reality, then How We Know What We Know, then The Self and Existence, and 4 more sections after that. On Tomo that's 95 short levels, about 3 hours 10 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for The Big Ideas of Philosophy?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. The Big Ideas of Philosophy is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is The Big Ideas of Philosophy free?
Yes. The Big Ideas of Philosophy is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn The Big Ideas of Philosophy?
95 levels across 8 sections, about 3 hours 10 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start The Big Ideas of Philosophy?
No. It's pitched at an intermediate level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
The Big Ideas of Philosophy is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start The Big Ideas of Philosophy today.
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