ILC 213 The Elusive Self

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both Faith & Reason-Philosophy and Social Science.

The Elusive Self: On Mind, Brain, and Consciousness.

No concept is more central to our lives than the notion of "I." We could not navigate the world if we lacked a fundamental sense of self-hood. Yet, for philosophers and psychologists alike, this commonplace idea has been the starting point for much speculation, research, and wonder. This course explores various dimensions of what we call the self from both psychological and philosophical perspectives. We begin with questions on the nature of consciousness, with special emphasis on the relationship between the mind and the brain. We then explore issues related to personal identity, self-awareness, and memory. We next consider the prospects for consciousness and self-hood in non-human animals and machines. Finally, we reckon with the self's ultimate limitation, death.

Credits

4

Prerequisite

Take CORE 110 or HNR 150. Take 1 OC, oral communications course.

Corequisite

Take TH 101 previously or concurrently. Take 1 PR, philisophical reasoning course previously or concurrently.

Distribution

ILC,PHL,SS

Offered

Even Year Spring Semester