Course Description
In the course of our daily lives, we rarely stop to reflect on who—or what—we are referring to when we think about our own selves. At first, it seems obvious. The self is something we take for granted. It is a reference point for helping us think about everything else outside ourselves. And we have implicit notions about what this self is, where it starts and stops, and how it works. We hold beliefs, make commitments, undertake responsibilities, and take action in the world, all based on assumptions about who and what we are. But where do these assumptions come from, and how do they inform our ideas about how to live well? Have people always thought about the self this way, or have these notions changed over time and between cultures? Does our understanding of the self put limitations on our human capacities to flourish, both as individuals and in communities? Or is it precisely our concept of the self that has made modern culture so successful? In this course, we will examine the origins of the modern self in European thought and culture, focusing primarily on the foundational early modern period..
Expectations
Students will come to class having carefully read the material and prepared to engage in thoughtful discussion about it. Students will write a short (6-8 pages) research essay that incorporates secondary readings; proposals for these essays will be submitted by Session 8 (November 12).
Readings
Required texts are available for purchase at the Stanford bookstore. There are also some recommended texts – you might wait to purchase these until I’ve described them in class. Finally, there are some online PDFs that I’d like you to get from the class website.
Course Textbooks
You can find the list of required and recommended textbooks here.