Recent classes taught
Each class is a group discussion, facilitated and introduced by the instructor. There is a short reading selection for each week. The reading provides a background structure for the discussion, but each class is primarily an opportunity for us all to confront these philosophical questions ourselves, and not just through someone else's eyes.
(Note: Instructor is J.P. Rosensweig unless otherwise noted.)
Self-Knowledge, Self-Deception, and the Authentic Self
Given that we all have so many influences which shape us, including nationality, media, upbringing, gender, and culture, how can a person know who he really is in the midst of these many and varied influences? What does "who he really is" mean? What are the characteristics, if any, of a real, or authentic self, as opposed to a false, or inauthentic self? Why do people sometimes believe and do things that are not a reflection of who they are? In what ways do our interactions with other people limit our authenticity, or precisely help make it possible?
Readings include: (short excerpts--no prior knowledge necessary) Rousseau, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Hesse, Winnicott
Meaning in Life
In light of the mystery and uncertainty seemingly inherent in human existence, what makes a human life meaningful? Is following traditions an important source of meaning? Or is meaning to be found in developing your own way, in questioning traditions? Are human beings ultimately alone, separate from each other, or is it possible to be fully connected to each other? Are people free to become who they want to be, or are our lives largely determined by our past, by the personalities we already have? Does the fact that we all die one day threaten to make life ultimately meaningless? Is religion a wise response to the uncertainties of our human situation, or is it an orientation we should somehow move beyond? We will consider these and related questions, all of which fall broadly under the issues associated with the philosophical school of thought known as Existentialism.
Readings include: Nietzsche, Heidegger, Camus, Sartre, Dostoevsky, Freud, Homer, T. Nagel
Among the questions we will consider: Are human beings inherently, or "naturally" antagonistic towards each other? Indifferent? Compassionate? Is society itself a cause of lack of genuine connection between people, or is it only certain kinds of societies, certain kinds of values, which engender such disconnection? For instance, do capitalist societies or socialist societies lead to a greater sense of community among their members? Does the ideal of community involve active caring for others or just respectful non-interference? Would there be a greater sense of community if women had traditionally held positions of public power throughout history rather than men?
Readings include: Hobbes, Rousseau, Adam Smith, Marx, Heidegger, Freud, Marcuse, Carol Gilligan, Peter Gabel
What is Wisdom?
Wisdom is often considered to be one of the most important goals of human life, and yet it is an elusive and even mysterious ideal. What exactly is wisdom? How does a person become wise? Does our society foster the development of wisdom? Is wisdom something which can be taught, or is it something each person ultimately has to arrive at on his or her own? Our society places a high value on intelligence and knowledge. Are these the same as wisdom? If not, what else is needed to become wise? How do conceptions of wisdom in Eastern culture and thought differ from conceptions of wisdom in Western culture and thought? How, if at all, would our educational practices change if our goal was try to help people become wise?
Readings include: (short excerpts--no prior knowledge required) Nietzsche, Plato, Rilke, Kierkegaard, Rousseau, Hesse, Seung Sahn, Thoreau
Plato, the Good Life, and the Good Society
Among the questions we will consider: Are some kinds of lives better than others? If so, what constitutes a good, or worthwhile, or meaningful life? And what type of life, if any, is best? How should one go about attempting to find answers to these questions? Socrates famously praised the examined life. To what degree is examining one's life necessary for leading a fulfilling life? How does popular culture shape us, and affect the way we understand the world? Should governments have the power to assess which aspects of culture are and are not morally acceptable for public consumption? For example, is there ever a role for censorship? In this class we shall discuss such questions by looking at the ideas of Plato, one of the deepest attempts to tackle these issues in the Western tradition. No prior knowledge of Plato is required.
Instructor: Matthew Schwartz
Matthew Schwartz is currently a Ph.D. student in Philosophy at the University of Chicago. He has been studying philosophy there since 1998, and received his M.A. in Philosophy there in 1999. He is currently working on his Ph.D. dissertation. Mr. Schwartz received his B.A. with honors in philosophy from the University of Vermont in 1996. He is married and plays guitar and sings in a local band.
Readings include: excerpts from Plato's Republic , and from several other of Plato's Dialogues
Art and Society
Among the questions we will consider: Does art matter to our society and to our lives? Can art transmit knowledge or wisdom, or can it only be beautiful? Is political art just propaganda? Why would a government suppress art? Does an artist's work belong to everyone? Is a signed toilet seat in a museum a work of art? Is beauty "in the eye of the beholder," or can it be measured objectively? Does art merely reflect who we are, or can it change who we are?
Instructor: Charles Chandler
Charles Chandler is a writer. He received his MA in the Humanities from the University of Chicago in 1999. His Master's paper, "The Influence of Rudolf Steiner on Humboldt's Gift ," was accepted for publication in the Saul Bellow Journal in 2000. Charles received his BA from the University of North Texas, where he studied literature and art history, in 1998. He edits business publications for a living and plays drums.
Readings include: Kafka, Joyce, Hume, Henry James, Adorno, Kundera, Engels, James Wood, Gerald Graff
Examining Urban Existence:
Where We Live and What We Live For
Each of us currently lives in an urban environment. What are the advantages, disadvantages, and obligations of this arrangement? Urban life affords us with a wealth of cultural and artistic experiences, but our lives generally lack opportunities for a rich connection to nature. How significant is this? Should we make efforts to seek out more ‘natural' surroundings, or is it best to view our man-made environment as natural for us? What responsibilities do we have to comply with or disregard certain rules and ordinances? What are the values and assumptions surrounding work in our culture? What is the relevance of work to our lives overall, and what considerations determine whether our employment is conducive to a well-lived life? To what extent, and in what ways, are we affected and shaped by our environment? In each meeting we will consider these questions in relation to the ideas of one of America's distinctive voices, Henry David Thoreau.
Instructor: Jonathan Ellsworth
Jonathan Ellsworth is an adjunct professor of philosophy at Wheaton College, where he has taught a seminar on the philosophical significance of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, and a seminar entitled "Philosophy as a Way of Life," which covered a number of texts and figures from Socrates to Gandhi. He will be teaching at Wheaton next year on Stoicism. Jonathan is also pursuing studies in philosophy at the University of Chicago as a visiting graduate student. Last summer, at a philosophy conference in England, he presented a paper on the interface of ancient philosophy and theology, (to be published later this year), and he has written and presented on issues in contemporary ethics.
Readings: Thoreau's essays, "Life without Principle," "Walking," "Civil Disobedience," "Slavery in Massachusetts," and excerpts from Thoreau's Walden .
