Philosophy (Man, God, and Society) OpenCourseWare: UC Berkeley's Free Bachelor Level Philosophy Course

Published Feb 17, 2009

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Explore theology throughout history as seen through literature in 'Philosophy: Man, God and Society in Western Literature,' which the University of California Berkeley offers as free OpenCourseWare. This lower division undergraduate OpenCourseWare combines philosophy, literature, history and religious studies.

Philosophy (Man, God and Society in Western Literature): Course Specifics

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Philosophy (Man, God and Society in Western Literature): Course Description

'Philosophy: Man, God and Society in Western Literature' OpenCourseWare compiles lectures from the University of California Berkeley's Philosophy course of the same name taught by professor Hubert L. Dreyfus. This Philosophy class traced the relationship of humans and the divine, using the lens of literary works. Emphasis was on the cultural pressures that shaped religious thought. The course traced the West's shift from polytheism to monotheism, and the cultural breakdown that swung the pendulum back toward polytheism or nihilism. 'Philosophy: Man, God and Society in Western Literature' also introduces advanced literary analysis at an introductory undergraduate level. The course examines five classics of Western literature: The Odyssey by Homer, Oresteia by Aeschylus, Aeneid by Virgil, The Divine Comedy by Dante, Pensées by Pascal and Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

Downloadable content includes 26 lectures by Berkeley professor Hubert L. Dreyfus, each approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes long. To take this free OpenCourseWare, visit the religion and society in literature course page.