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Know Thyself - The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge: The Examined Life

Approx. 19 hours to complete

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Course Summary

Know Thyself: The Examined Life is a course that teaches students how to examine their own lives and make positive changes. Students will learn about various philosophical and psychological frameworks that can help them gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Key Learning Points

Understand the importance of self-examination and reflection
Learn about different philosophical and psychological frameworks
Develop a deeper understanding of yourself and your place in the world

Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have

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Philosopher
- USA: $50,000 - $100,000
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Learning Outcomes

Develop a deeper understanding of yourself and your place in the world
Learn how to apply philosophical and psychological frameworks to your life
Make positive changes in your personal and professional life

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

No prior knowledge or experience required
Open-mindedness and willingness to reflect

Course Difficulty Level

Beginner

Course Format

Self-paced
Online
Lecture-based

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Description

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. What is missing from a person lacking in self-knowledge that makes her less wise, virtuous, or competent in certain areas than others who have this capacity, and what if anything might she do to fill that gap? Historical sources as well as recent research in philosophy, experimental social psychology, and neuroscience will inform our investigation, in the course of which we will become students of our own dreams, and cultivate some meditative practices.

Learning Outcomes: Learners will gain familiarity with prominent themes from Western, classical Chinese, and Buddhist approaches to our knowledge of ourselves. In the course of doing so, they will gain an appreciation of the relation of self-knowledge to wisdom, of the value of intellectual humility, as well as of methods of learning about oneself that do not depend on introspection. Learners will also become familiar with contemporary research in experimental social psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience into the emotions, the unconscious, the role of affect in decision making, and self-deception. They will also gain an appreciation of a challenge to the assumption of a coherent, unified self that derives from the Buddhist tradition. --- This course was created by a partnership between The University of Edinburgh and Humility & Conviction and Public Life Project, an engaged research project based at the University of Connecticut and funded by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

Outline

Getting started
Introduction: Know Thyself @ Wireless Philosophy
About this course
Course assessments and exercises

Socrates and the Examined Life
The Gadfly
Is anyone wiser than Socrates?
I know that I know (almost) nothing
Meditative moment
Is an unexamined life worth living?
"Not to be lived"
What is knowledge good for?
Summary
Existentialist Comics - The "Apology"
Know Thyself, Chapter One
Interesting videos and podcasts
Plato's Apology - full text
'Socrates' by Professor Deborah Nails
'The Delphic Oracle: A Multidisciplinary Defense of the Gaseous Vent Theory' By Spiller et al
Knowledge and ignorance
Do you agree?
Module One Quiz: 5 questions assessed
Chapter One Quiz

Descartes' Essence
Descartes
What can be called into doubt?
Are you dreaming now?
I think, therefore I am
Concerning God
The physical and the mental
Divisibility of mind and body
Meditative moment
Dualism
Know Thyself, Chapter Two
Interesting videos and podcasts
Brief essay on Descartes' argument for dualism
Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy
Correspondence between Descartes and Princess Elisabeth
Prof. Christia Mercer on Descartes' debt to Teresa of Avila
Rationalism vs Empiricism
Initial thoughts
Practice Quiz 1
Practice Quiz 2
Evaluate Descartes' argument
Evaluate the arguments again
Module Two Quiz: 5 questions assessed

A re-casting of the Mind/Body problem
Concept of mind
Ghost in the machine
Stupid is, as stupid does
Embodied cognition
Priviledged access
Locked in
The materialist strikes back
Meditative moment
Know Thyself, chapter three
Interesting videos and podcasts
On embodied cognition
Gilbert Ryle at the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy
Locked-In Syndrome
Initial thoughts
Practice quiz
More know-how intelligence
Examples of failed phosphorescence or introspection/infallibility
Module Three Quiz: 5 questions assessed

MIND AND SELF: Some Aspects of Human Nature
Human nature
Investigating human nature
How best to live?
Theory of human emotions
Non-basic emotions
Second nature
Meditative moment
Existentialist Comics - Sartre
Human nature: Six things we all do (New Scientist)
Human nature matters (Aeon)
Some interesting videos and podcasts
Read more about Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Read more about Sartre, Existentialism, and Nothingness (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Steve Darwall: Empathy, Sympathy, Care
More on basic emotions
Initial thoughts
Your rituals
Human nature as an excuse
Part of human nature?
Module Four Quiz: 5 questions assessed

Final assessment
Share what you've learned by editing the Wikipedia entry on self-knowledge!
A brief How-To

Summary of User Reviews

Discover yourself and live a more meaningful life with the Know Thyself: The Examined Life course on Coursera. Students have praised the course for its depth and introspection, helping them gain a greater understanding of themselves and their place in the world.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

The course is praised for its depth and introspection, helping students gain a greater understanding of themselves and their place in the world.

Pros from User Reviews

Provides a deeper understanding of oneself and one's place in the world
Well-structured and easy to follow
Excellent resources and materials
Engaging and thought-provoking lectures
Great for personal development and growth

Cons from User Reviews

Can be quite heavy and intense
Not for everyone, some may find it too philosophical
May be challenging for those who prefer surface-level learning
Some technical issues with the platform
Limited interaction with the instructor

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Know Thyself - The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge: The Examined Life

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....

Save Course