Philosophy of Mind (Self-Knowledge) OpenCourseWare: A Free Online Graduate Study Philosophy Course by MIT

Published Jan 27, 2009

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Students interested in exploring their mental state to gain a deeper self-knowledge and self-awareness should take the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) free OpenCourseWare philosophy class 'Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Self-Knowledge'. Students pursuing a Master of Arts in Philosophy or a Ph.D. in Philosophy would be interested in this course.

Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Self-Knowledge: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Graduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Self-Knowledge: Course Description

The Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT in Cambridge, MA, offers OpenCourseWare that further investigates Descartes' famous question of whether we can rationally doubt our existence. 'Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Self-Knowledge' explores the divergence between the external environment and the student's own mind. The course supports the idea that we have better or privileged knowledge about our own mental state than about anything else. However, it also acknowledges that we don't have the same capability to observe our own minds as we do the external world, a phenomenon known as peculiar knowledge. The course covers additional topics on immunity to error, misidentification, understanding of one's own knowledge and the transparency of self-knowledge. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify specific theories in the philosophy of self-knowledge and apply those theories to themselves and future philosophical views. Philosophy professor Dr. Alex Byrne teaches this course.

This OpenCourseWare includes a syllabus, required readings list, lecture notes, assignments, external links and a complete download of the course's material. Those interested in this free course should visit the Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Self-Knowledge course page.

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