Much of our knowledge is unconscious. Often, we don’t know what we know. And we don’t know how we came to know it. In this discussion-based course we explore some of the most influential ways societies over time have sought knowledge and certainty. We begin with the ancient Greeks before Socrates, and then quickly turn to four landmarks of Western thinking: Socrates, Descartes, Dewey, and Artificial Intelligence. Each of these will be a module in the course and each represents a set of views that are still influential today about how humans learn and arrive at knowledge. We look at the strengths, influences, and weaknesses of each. By raising our own awareness of various ways of knowing, we give ourselves the possibility of choosing among them as our circumstances may require rather than unconsciously accepting what is given us.

Readings to be provided by the instructor