Statement of the Competency: to think critically about the knowledge process. Students who successfully complete the KNOWLEDGE course in Humanities should be able to:
The KNOWLEDGE course invites students to step back and reflect in a critical manner on the processes by which knowledge in various fields can be attained. Students learn and develop skills in identification, evaluation, analysis and synthesis in order to address such questions as: “What do I know?” and “How do I know something is true?”
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| 345-101-MQ |
A Brief History of the Universe |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
In this course, we will critically think about how we know what we know about the universe, and focus on the processes by which humans have come to know the world and our place in it. We will approach topics from the Big Bang to evolution to the search for extraterrestrial life. The goal will be to provide you with a basis for understanding what constitutes solid, well-reasoned knowledge and how it differs from superstition or belief. Students will conduct large part of the course by preparing presentations and participating in debates. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Art and Knowledge |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course teaches students to think critically about knowledge and its limitations, by focusing on a field of human activity which is sometimes seen as having nothing much to do with knowledge at all: art. An increasingly familiar view in our culture is that art is purely subjective – a matter of taste, unreasoned opinion, or emotional response. But is that all there is to it? Can there be such a thing as a correct understanding of a work of art? If so, can an artwork be understood in isolation from other knowledge, or do we need a special store of facts (e.g. biographical, historical) or professional knowledge (e.g. techniques) in order to grasp the work’s significance? By course end, students will be able to articulate their own views, not only about the relationship between art and knowledge, but about the nature of knowledge itself. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Art and Philosophy |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course is designed to introduce the student to a particular field of knowledge, in this case, the field of aesthetics. Through an examination of philosophical texts by authors such as Plato, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and others, we will address questions of definition, perception, beauty and taste. In so doing, students will be introduced to a variety of artworks from Ancient Greek sculpture, to contemporary performance art. In addition, students will engage in exercises in critical thinking, reading, and writing, to further develop their understanding of philosophy and art; we will learn how to identify and construct successful arguments and how to judge and identify faulty reasoning. Students will also learn how to identify scholarly material, conduct research and construct an effective essay. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Art: Interpreting the Past and Present |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
Some argue that art is an early warning system meant to prepare society for the changes to come. Others argue that art is a mirror that reflects society’s reality, while still others argue it is an instrument to bring about change. Art reflects humankind’s identity, needs, and desires. It has been used to define the boundaries of knowledge. In this course, we will be discussing art as it has been used to define and generate beliefs, ethics, philosophies, knowledge of the natural and spiritual world and the place of the human being within it. We will study and explore the many interpretations and uses of art beginning with prehistory and ending with politicized art of the 20th century. We will also evaluate how art of the past has been interpreted in order to serve the needs of the present day. By doing so, we will also evaluate the language of argument, and we will use critical thinking skills to evaluate these interpretations. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Being Rational : The Nature, Value and Practice of Reason |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Breaking the Guy Code |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
In the first half of the course, we will borrow the cultural studies method of “decoding” in order to explore how everyone has a stake in the questions: What is a "guy code" and what does it mean to break it? We'll look at how gender, and specifically ideas around masculinity, shape how we understand ourselves and our relationships with each other as well as the world around us. In the second half of the course, we will synthesize and apply critical feminist analytical frameworks to various themes related to questions of how men and ideas of masculinity affect our everyday lives; we can explore families, education, sports, music, film, love, sex, intimacy, religion, politics, law, media, work, activism, etc. Our goal is to identify together different oppressive guy codes on campus and explore creative ways to “break” them. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Critical Thinking |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
The class will investigate the nature of knowledge; how knowledge is identified and acquired; the difficulties that arise in trying to acquire it and strategies for overcoming them. Students will learn the basics tools of critical thinking, such as rhetoric, logic and argument construction in order to identify, analyse, evaluate, and produce arguments. They will apply these skills to the careful reading of arguments in everyday contexts. Students will also learn basic concepts of epistemology and metaphysics. Students who successfully complete the course will be able to identify the fallacies (if any) in everyday arguments. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Critical Thinking and Communication |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
In this course students will learn about knowledge related to communication. They will critically examine what constitutes competent communication, how these norms develop and become accepted, and how we can know what these norms are. They will also discover whether the norms of effective communications are the same everywhere. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Critical Thinking and the Ancient World |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Critical Thinking in the Ancient World |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
To think critically means to think for ourselves rather than let others, such as parents, governments, religious, educational or medical institutions do our thinking for us. We live in a time in which the internet is often the main source of knowledge for young adults. When we use the internet to find information and answers to our questions we are faced with conflicting claims on everything that matters to us. Critical thinking skills, i.e., the skills of analysis, inference and evaluation, are essential to navigate the wealth of information in which manipulative marketing and poor arguments abound. We will begin by examining the life and thoughts of the father of critical thinking, Socrates, who died in 399 BC in Athens. We will learn important reasoning skills such as recognizing arguments and learning to distinguish between strong and weak arguments. We will then apply those skills to reading and assessing the arguments of others, and by learning to write our own strong arguments. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Darwin's Tea Party |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
Biological knowledge, or knowledge of the living world, has been essential to human survival since the dawn of humanity and has transformed nature, society, and our ideas about who and what we are. Darwin's theory of evolution is one key example of just how powerful biological knowledge has been and continues to be, though it is just one chapter in this story. Today, biological science and technology are on the verge of triggering even more radical transformations of our environment, society, and perhaps of human nature itself. This course examines the growth and impact, use and misuse of biological knowledge, from the earliest periods to the rise of Darwin's evolutionary theory, right up to the present. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Evolution |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course will look at how the theory of evolution has revolutionized our understanding of our place in the universe. Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species undermined many of the premises of Western thought about the elevated status of human beings in the cosmos. We will look at how the dominant views on the origins of human life prior to the modern era were undermined by developments in the Scientific Revolution and during the Enlightenment. We will then examine the notions of variation and natural selection in The Origin of Species and how they seek to explain the development of all life forms. We will also study Darwin's contributions to our understanding of human evolution in his other famous work The Descent of Man and look at the intellectual debate which its publication inspired. The course will conclude with an overview of what we know today about the origins of life on Earth, the particular phases of human evolution and recent developments in the science of genetics. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Evolution of Human Rights |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
We live in an 'Age of Rights'. In this course students will study human rights as a body of knowledge and a framework for expressing societal values. Human rights developed in parallel to ideas of autonomy and empathy. As autonomy and empathy became cultural practices, so too did human rights. This course examines this development, the process by which a value becomes a "human right", and how these rights evolve from ideas to prescriptive claims and, finally, to legal claims. We will also study the issue of the extent to which we have obligations to protect the human rights of strangers. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Existentialism |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
The term “existentialism” does not refer to a specific philosophic school, but to a way of understanding the human condition that became prominent among various 19th and 20th century thinkers. This course examines existentialism by introducing students to several key figures identified with the term. We will focus on thinkers who were active during and shortly after World War II, the period in which existentialism was most influential. We will study a variety of philosophic, literary, and political texts as well as two widely acclaimed films. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Existentialism - Knowledge Beyond Good and Evil |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Getting Started in Philosophy |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course is an introduction to philosophy as a field of knowledge. We will study the lasting issues in philosophy, investigate interesting philosophical arguments, and explore creative ways of doing philosophy. By taking this course, students will develop the skills of reflecting on life and the world in a critical manner. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Historiography and the Icelandic Saga |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
Students will study historiography-- the study of the making of history-- as a field of knowledge. Using critical thinking skills, they will analyze the historiography of the Viking Age, in order to gain a better understanding of medieval Scandinavian society and to see how attitudes towards it have changed over the centuries. There will be particular focus on the uses and limitations of the Icelandic sagas as historical sources. The sagas describe life not only in Iceland but also to some extent in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and beyond. The saga writers incorporated historical material in a very self-aware manner (as seen, for example, in the descriptions of Norse explorations of North America in The Vinland Sagas), but there are also a lot of fictional elements in the works. Students will therefore have to question the veracity of the claims made in the sagas, as they refine their knowledge of Viking Age society. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Historiography and World War II |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
History is not a static, objective account of the past. The perception of what constitutes historical truth changes over time, as new sources are discovered, new methodologies employed, and new world views developed. Moreover, in their selection and evaluation of sources, all historians are biased in their own way. As students learn the fundamentals of historiography-- the study of the making of history-- they will be able to identify the limitations of certain historical texts and, at least to some extent, compensate accordingly. To demonstrate the difficulty of arriving at any kind of historical understanding, this course will focus on World War II. Students will analyze texts that offer different perspectives on major figures and events in order to get a more accurate (though still necessarily incomplete) picture of the war. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
History and Myth of Ancient Greece |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
Studying the past is never a straightforward task and the difficulties are compounded when examining cultures like ancient Greece, from which surviving evidence is limited and produced for the most part by a narrow subset of that society — i.e., aristocratic Athenian men from 490-323 BCE. What knowledge of ancient Greece is possible then? In this course, we’ll examine some of the material that’s survived and discuss the relative usefulness of these sources in shedding light on ancient Greek culture. In particular, we’ll consider what insights ancient Greek myth might offer us, especially when it claims to present historical events, such as the origins of the universe, the creation of men, women and the gods, and the Trojan War. We’ll conclude by examining arguments over the beautiful but controversial figure of Helen of Troy and explore what this 3000-year debate might tell us about the uses and abuses of history and our evolving relationship with the past. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Hitchcock: Film, Text, Context |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most commercially successful film directors of all time. His career in cinema extended from the silent era all the way through to the 1970s. Initially, most critics viewed his movies as little more than diverting forms of entertainment. In recent decades, however, film scholars have begun to interpret Hitchcock as a subversive genius centrally concerned with issues of epistemology, phenomenology, and psychology. In this course, students will critically reflect on the nature of knowledge in Hitchcock’s films, develop their ability to assess claims in scholarship related to his work, and learn how to make clear, convincing, and rigorous arguments. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Human-Animal Studies |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Interpersonal Knowledge and Communications |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
How do we know to relate to other people effectively? What are the factors that inform people's knowledge of what constitute effective communication? Are the factors that influence communication norms the same everywhere? This introductory course on interpersonal communication recognizes questions about effective interpersonal communication, its concepts, and vocabulary and how it developed historically as a field of study. It investigates ways in which knowledge and norms of communication are constructed. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Introduction to Philosophy |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Journeys Humanities |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
In this Knowledge course, we will explore together the different ways that Indigenous scholars and spokespeople from what is today Canada and the U.S.A shape, conceptualize and explain their knowledge of our world. Indigenous scholars teach us that Indigenous knowledge relies on context and relationships rather than decontextualized data. That meaning and interpretation is derived not by the teacher, but by the learners. In this course we will all be learners and explore what these statements mean. We will focus on four main themes in Indigenous Knowledge, all of which are inter-related: story-telling, land, humour and nationhood. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Judging Monarchs |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
Was England’s Henry VIII a good king? How about the Roman Emperor Vespasian? To answer these seemingly simple questions, we must ask several more: What qualities does a good ruler possess? What actions must he or she perform? Who gets to decide which qualities and actions are good? What information do we have about the ruler in question? Who gives us that information, and how trustworthy are they? What kind of argument and point of view is our source putting forth? Finally, how do we craft our answer so that other people will care about our response? To answer all these questions, we must combine our innate human ability to reason with the research skills necessary to uncover and evaluate historical facts. This course will seek to answer the question of ‘What makes a good monarch?’ by examining concepts of historical knowledge, determining what we can truly know about the past and how we can use that knowledge to form contemporary judgments. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Knowledge and Wisdom |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
What is knowledge? What are the different ways in which we can understand and approach knowledge? This course will compare and contrast various philosophical, religious, and scientific approaches to knowledge in order to bring to the fore that how we define knowledge depends at least in part on the field within which we are seeking to define it. Within each of these fields, we will consider not only what counts as knowledge, but what relationship is to be drawn between theoretical knowledge and practical wisdom, that is, between knowing what is the case and knowing how best to act and live. Readings may include texts from: Plato, Descartes, Hume, Darwin, Dawkins, James, Clifford, and Sartre. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Knowledge in the Age of Faust |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
The legend of Doctor Faustus, a fifteenth century scholar and sorcerer who sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and power has had an enduring influence in the arts and sciences. The most powerful adaptation of the Faust legend is Goethe’s Faust, a play written over a period of 50 years, that portrays Faust not as an evil man, but a visionary individual who struggles with the most iconic issues of modernity: How do we define good and evil without looking to God? What is justified in the name of science, progress, and power? Since Goethe finished his play in the 1830s, the legend has continued to inspire new adaptations in literature and the fine arts and the ideas of the world’s greatest minds, including Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, and Einstein. By focusing on selections from Goethe’s Faust and materials influenced by this powerful legend, this course will explore the dynamic philosophical landscape of the modern, Faustian age. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Knowledge of the Human Mind |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course is based on the premise that knowledge of one’s mind is the starting point and one of the main components of critical thinking. This course will explore the modes of functioning of the human mind, and will critically examine the processes by which knowledge is thought to be acquired. To succeed in this particular course, students should be able to provide a sound answer to the following questions: What are the limitations of the human mind? Why do an increasing number of scholars claim that humans are predictably irrational? How can we train our mind to be more rational? How can we avoid fallacious reasoning? What is a logically valid and sound argument? When are critical thinking skills useful? Can we train our mind to better manage mental agitations (such as anger, hatred, frustration and other negativities)? Students will acquire the knowledge and skills needed in order to construct well-informed and nuanced arguments with regard to these issues. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Knowledge with New School |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
New School offers a different way of doing your Knowledge course. New School takes a Critical Humanistic approach to learning: an approach based on the principles of Critical Pedagogy and Humanistic Education. We believe that people learn best when they have a say in what and how they will learn. In smaller learning groups, we give students a greater role in shaping the content of their courses and designing how they will study their subjects. Our Knowledge courses explore critical thinking and knowledge production through a variety of themes and issues. In facilitating greater discussions between each other, our students are encouraged to relate their studies to their personal and social lives, and constantly link the personal to the political. Visit the New School homepage for more information on pre-registration. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Knowledge, Truth and Critical Thinking |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
The goal of this course is to discuss philosophical and cultural theories on truth and to situate these ideas in the context of modern day mediums of information. By the end of this course, students will have an introduction to the basic problems of philosophy regarding knowledge and truth, the implications these problems have for related topics such as freedom, choice and identity, and be able to critically apply these ideas to the world of information within which they live. Students will learn to ask good questions, to strive for impartial, reasoned thought, to acquire sophisticated problem solving skills, and to seek informed judgment over biased opinion. In short, students will acquire the absolutely transferable skill of critical thinking, a unique skill that is necessary to achieve excellence in thought and a good quality of life. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Legal Knowledge |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
The goal of this course is to foster critical thinking skills which can be applied in students’ other courses and in daily life. Law is used as an example of a knowledge field which evaluates truth claims based on elements such as: rules, precedent and factual evidence. Does law require good moral content to be ‘legal’? What might be the consequences of defining a problem as ‘legal’ – rather than ‘medical’ or ‘social’? We examine questions like these, as well as the role of mass media and the arts in shaping our understanding of law. The limits of formal law and the kinds of knowledge often excluded from the formal legal sphere will be discussed. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Media Knowledge |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
The media ‘mediates’ our lives and as such influences our beliefs, values, choices, and fundamentally structures our vision of ourselves and the world. It describes our most personal expectations and provides us with ways of seeing and interpreting events, influencing what we consider to constitute helpful, valid, and even ‘true’ knowledge. In this course we use sources of mass and alternative media to question objectivity of information. We consider visual communication (linking image and imagination) and examine strategies of data and information collection and persuasion. Examples from investigative journalism, advertising, popular magazines, and other sources help us develop an understanding of what we know, how we know it, and the limits of our knowledge. To evaluate what restricts and shapes knowledge and our understandings of our own and others’ lives, it is essential to know how knowledge is constructed and conveyed through media. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Men, Women and Culture |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
The objectives of this course are to examine the field of gender roles and relations in a wide variety of cultures and to examine the development of this area of knowledge. Particular attention will be paid to the questions asked in this field, the methods used to collect data, the assumptions of researchers in the field, the structure of their arguments, and how the various approaches to the study of gender roles and relations can be organized, compared, and evaluated. Content includes the relationship between biology and culture, primate research, the cultural construction of masculinity and femininity, variations in the sexual division of labour and economic organization, and cultural factors which influence the degree of gender equality in a society. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Moral Knowledge |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course will deal with fundamental questions concerning the possibility and nature of knowledge in the areas of morality and politics. Is there a moral truth that can in some sense be "known," or is morality simply a matter of subjective personal preference? Can knowledge of morality be acquired by an anthropological survey of approval and disapproval in a particular society, or can a more critical, rational approach to morality be taken? Can values like democracy, liberty and equality be demonstrated to be "good for human beings everywhere," or do they simply reflect the customs of a particular society at a particular point in history? Is there a rational method to follow in matters of morality and politics in the way there is in science and mathematics and, if so, what might such a method look like? |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Native Ways of Knowing |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
Over the past last 500 years, indigenous peoples of the world have lost much of their traditional knowledge due to invasion and colonization by non-natives. There have been attacks on their language and culture, commercialization of their art, and use of their plant knowledge in the development of medicine without their consent. However, there is still much to be learned from contemporary hunters-gatherers, since this knowledge is still used in their daily lives. This course deals with contemporary native peoples' knowledge of land and nature, resource management, environmental adaptation, herbal medicine, social and economic organization. It will examine the importance of preserving, promoting and protecting indigenous language, culture and knowledge. By examining this other system of knowledge in a multidisciplinary framework, students may better understand their own system of knowledge and its use. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Neuroscience and the Self |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
People's Rights |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course teaches law and specific legal issues as a body of knowledge and as a body of rules. The course distinguishes knowledge of a rhetorical, deductive, causal or theoretical nature. It draws on various legal documents to examine the specific rights of the poor, consumer rights, human rights, labour rights, the rights of the accused, etc. Students will become familiar with the rights they possess and moreover, with legal arguments about justice, ideas about reasonableness, obligation, and “grave and weighty” argumentation. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Philosophical Dilemmas |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This knowledge course is an introduction to philosophical dilemmas. We will study lasting issues in philosophy, investigate interesting philosophical arguments, and explore creative ways of doing philosophy. By taking this course, students will develop and apply the essential skills of critical thinking. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Political Philosophy and Critical Thinking |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course introduces students to different historical and contemporary theories regarding fundamental questions of government and society; and tries to explain the modes of critical reasoning and argument used to evaluate the validity of these theories. Students will be expected to discuss and debate such questions as: Why are governments necessary? By what right can a government require individuals to obey it? What is the best form of government? What limits should be placed on a government's power, or conversely, what is the extent of individuals' liberty that governments should respect? And what is the most just distribution of income and wealth in society that governments should seek to obtain? In response to these questions, we will consider and evaluate the views of theorists in the tradition of western political philosophy from the ancient Greeks to the present. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Problems of Philosophy |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course is a general introduction to fundamentals of philosophical thought and specifically looks at the way in which theories of knowledge relate to political theory. Questions to be asked include: What is justice? What role do moral values play in politics? What is human nature? What are the origins and the end of the state? Can a war be just? What are the limits of governmental power? How much liberty should citizens enjoy? Who should rule? What is the best form of government? What do we mean when we talk about freedom, equality, power, authority, legitimacy, sovereignty, natural law and human rights? How can we know the answer to these questions? What counts as a good argument? The basic aim of the course is to improve student’s critical thinking skills and their ability to analyze, develop and construct philosophical arguments. An additional aim is to introduce students to the history of ideas and their development in Western thought. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Reading the Past |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
The aim of this course is to foster critical thinking about a field of knowledge: archaeology, the study of past material culture. How the discipline collects data, assesses evidence and builds arguments will be examined. The course will demonstrate how archaeology can be used to reconstruct ancient beliefs, answer larger questions about past societies, test the veracity of written accounts and challenge traditional reconstructions based on literary sources. It will also show how archaeological evidence can be used to construct and test theories meant to explain past trends. Relevant case studies include Rome, the ancient Near East, pre-Columbian America, the world of the Vikings and early Islamic Jordan. A section will look at the politics of the past, how history can be used for nation-building and regime legitimization, while one on pseudo-archaeology will allow for the examination of mistakes in reasoned argumentation, while studying popular conceptions about the past. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Revolution and Romanticism |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Schools of Suspicion: Marx, Nietzsche and Freud |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
Are we masters of our own fate? Or are we nothing but cogs in a capitalist machine? Are we individuals who shape our own destiny, or are we sheep who follow the morality of the herd? Is it even possible to exercise freedom if forces deep within our unconscious mind actually determine our behavior? These are some of the questions we will explore in this class, which surveys the ideas of three of the most influential thinkers of the modern era. Marx, Nietzsche and Freud aimed to unmask the illusions that they believed dominated philosophy, religion, and ethics. While coming to starkly different conclusions, each thinker developed unsettling accounts of the human condition, which continue to shape our understanding of what it means to have "knowledge" and "self-knowledge" today. In this course, we will closely examine some of their core writings, place their work into historical context, and put their ideas into dialogue with each other and with ourselves. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Socrates and Science |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
In this course, we will critically think about humanity’s scientific knowledge of the universe, and focus on the process by which humans have come to know the world and our place in it. We will approach topics from the Big Bang to evolution to the search for extraterrestrial life. The goal will be to provide you with a basis for understanding what constitutes solid, well-reasoned knowledge and how it differs from superstition or belief. Students will conduct large part of the course by preparing presentations and participating in debates. Our starting point for this journey will be ancient Greece, which gave birth to both the scientific method and another important critical tool: philosophy. We will study the approach and method of Socrates, who has much to teach us nearly 2,400 years after his death. By studying how he approached the major questions of his day, we will have a more solid basis to analyze the various claims to knowledge about the universe we will study. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
States of Nature |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course looks at two political theorists who tried to understand the human condition and its implications for politics. Their ideas have since influenced modern institutions, governments, philosophers, social movements and literature. Thomas Hobbes has had an enormous influence on the social sciences and the assumptions on which they operate. Jean-Jacques Rousseau has been considered an inspiration for the French Revolution, Romanticism and social movements throughout the world. These two political theorists attempted to devise solutions to the problems of their times based on observations of history and humanity. This is a knowledge course, so our task will be to examine their claims in a critical manner. What steps did they take in order to claim valid arguments? |
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| 345-101-MQ |
States of Nature: Pol. Theories of Hobbes, Locke & Rousseau |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
The Age of the Avant-Garde |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course will look at the development of a field of knowledge through a survey of European visual art from approximately 1850 to 1950, emphasizing the idea of the Avant-Garde, a small group of innovators and pioneers who break with tradition and create new styles, subjects and forms in art. In addition, this course will attempt to organize the history of modern art (from Realism and Impressionism to Abstract Art) into a coherent whole, in order to assess the role of the Avant-Guarde and more fully understand how a field of knowledge reflects the wider society. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
The Art of Revolution |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course introduces students to aesthetic theory as a body of knowledge concerned with the ways we know the world through creativity. To begin, the course traces out the historical development of European philosophies of art by looking at Plato, Aristotle, and Kant. Next, we will look at the social and political contexts of modernity: where art was given different kinds of ‘revolutionary’ roles: from confronting false forms of knowledge, to building forms of communal awareness. We will investigate art’s relation to ideology and propaganda, as well as its role in producing new forms of knowledge and creating social values. The class will investigate the relation between art, truth, and power, and explore the capacity of art to effect social change. The course concludes by looking at contemporary forms of community-based and participatory art that seek to explore new ways of creatively organizing society. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
The Big Questions in Philosophy |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This is a course in the philosophy of knowledge. It is an opportunity to explore some of the major concerns of the Western philosophers over the centuries. Depending on class preference and time constraints, topics such as the meaning of God, the nature of reality, truth, the self, freedom, justice, the good society, and the relationship of philosophy to gender, race and culture can be tackled. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
The Enlightenment |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
During the Age of Enlightenment important thinkers such as Wollstonecraft, Voltaire, Rousseau and Kant set out to enlighten their compatriots. They proposed rational models of knowledge they hoped would free human beings from prejudices and superstition, from the tyranny of church and state, and from ignorance. These thinkers hoped that reason, common sense and tolerance would "turn on the lights" in Europe and make the world a better place, where universal rights would be recognized, and human beings would enjoy freedom and prosperity. They argued that if people could be educated to be rational, critical thinkers, then inequality and injustice could be eradicated. In this course, we will explore the Enlightenment project. We will start the course by becoming critical thinkers ourselves. We will then apply our critical thinking skills to a reading of some Enlightenment texts. We will try to understand the texts in their historical and cultural context. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
The Evolution of Human Rights |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
We live in an 'Age of Rights'. In this course, students will study human rights as a body of knowledge and a body of rules. Human rights developed in parallel to ideas of autonomy and empathy. As autonomy and empathy became cultural practices, so too did human rights. This course examines this development, the process by which a value becomes a "human right", and how these rights evolve from ideas to prescriptive claims and, finally, to legal claims. We will also study the extent to which we have obligations to protect the human rights of strangers. The idea of human beings as 'rights-holders' is based upon assumptions, values and theories about the nature of human beings and about the nature of the societies we live in. These assumptions, values and theories have emerged over the last 250 years. In this course, students will explore the historical origins of universal human rights and the distinctions between different concepts of human rights. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
The Poetics of Philosophy |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course is an introduction to critical thinking from two converging perspectives: literature and philosophy. Students will begin with the oldest (and arguably the greatest) novel in the Western tradition, Don Quijote, since it poses all the greatest questions of philosophy in an appealing fictional form. As the quintessential book about books, Don Quijote requires active reading and alert analysis because it is principally about examining and determining the criteria for truth (also known in philosophy as epistemology and metaphysics). As students pursue their exploration of the world of the mad knight, they will discover links to other universal themes and questions of philosophy such as aesthetics and logic. By the end of the course, students should be able to present a nuanced synthesis of both the heroic ambitions and the tragicomic limitations of human knowledge, from both the philosophic and the poetic points of view. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
The Problems of Philosophy |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
The Science of Art |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
Contrary to popular belief, art and science are not separate and opposed human activities. Art has played an important role in the development of modern science since the Renaissance, as can be seen in the studies of Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, Andreas Vesalius and many others. Art has been a central element in both the creation and recording of scientific knowledge. In this course we will study what knowledge is, how it is evaluated, and how artistic activities can serve analytical purposes. Ultimately, our aim is to think critically about art and science and how they have interacted, and continue to interact, in the production of knowledge. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
The Self: Theories and Constructions |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course introduces students to the problem of knowledge (epistemology) and its relevance for theories of the self. In thinking about the "self" various related notions are apparent: soul, mind, consciousness, self-consciousness, subjectivity, body-image, self-image, self-concept, psyche and personality. We will ask what these notions mean and how they relate to what having or being a self involves. For example, is the self (or soul) best described as an immaterial thing that "thinks"? Is our individuality only really guaranteed by our corporeality, suffering or happiness? Is the self better described as a self-reflexive process, the origin of which is rooted in experience? Is the self a construction, mere habit or illusion? Is the self a radical freedom or a "no-thing" as Sartre proclaimed? Is the self a unified and singular thing, or is it an essentially divided, layered and conflicted process? Is the self a culturally learned "manner of being" we are asked to perform? |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
The Self:Theories and Constructions |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Think About It |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course will ask: What counts as knowledge in the fields of science and religion? Most people believe that when it comes to the search for knowledge and truth, science and religion are in conflict. We will explore this presupposition and try to determine its validity. Are science and religion “worlds apart”? If so, how far apart are they and why? If not, how close are they and why? Can the two ways of knowing ever be reconciled? |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Thinking Critically |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
What is knowledge and how do we acquire it? Is knowledge based on universal truth or the accumulation of empirically verified ideas? Can we ever really claim to know something if it is changeable? Indeed, if the world is always transforming, then how can we claim to know anything at all? On the other hand, even if knowledge is possible, can we trust our sources of knowledge if they are sometimes unreliable? How do we know when a source provides true knowledge rather than false information? The goal of this course is to discuss philosophical and cultural theories on truth and to situate these ideas in the context of modern day mediums of information. By the end of this course, students will have an introduction to the basic problems of philosophy regarding knowledge and truth, the implications these problems have for related topics such as freedom, choice and identity, and be able to critically apply these ideas to the world of information within which they live. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Thinking Critically on the Medium of Knowledge |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course will discuss philosophical and cultural theories on truth and knowledge and situate these ideas within the context of modern day mediums of information. By the end of this course, students will have an introduction to the basic problems of philosophy regarding knowledge and truth, the implications these problems have for related topics such as freedom and identity, and be able to critically apply these ideas to the world of information within which they live. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Thinking For Yourself |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
ThinkingCriticallyontheMediumofKnow |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Descriptions for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Truth and Believing |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course provides a study in the problem of knowledge in a pluralistic society. An attempt to recognize and evaluate the concepts, vocabulary and problems, particularly prejudice and bias, generated by a misunderstanding of scientific versus religious thought will be made. Faith beliefs will be compared to the tenants of science; particular attention will be paid to the knowledge claims of Darwinism and Creationism. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Understanding Media |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
The very idea of media implies not only transmission, but also the modification of what is being transmitted, much as a glass prism transmits light while at the same time breaking it up into different colors of the light spectrum. This course will examine how various mass media convey information about the world and shape the way we know and understand it. We will learn about the key features of the various types of media (print, television, advertising, Internet) and also place these features within their broader social, cultural, ethical and political contexts. Our goal will be to become more active and critical -- and therefore independent -- consumers of what the media offer. The approach taken is interdisciplinary, drawing on sources in history, politics, media theory, economy, ethics and psychology. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Understanding Nature |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course will address two questions. First, is science the only way to understand nature and our relationship to it? Second, can science alone provide solutions to the environmental problems which are becoming a central concern for most of us? These questions imply an exploration of the kind of knowledge that science provides, whether science tells us the truth, and whether science can (or ever will) tell us all there is to know. Finding answers to these questions will be a philosophical undertaking, which is to say an exploration of the claims made by science to truth and universality. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Understanding Quebec |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course will apply a critical thought process to the understanding of Quebec society and politics. A central component of the course will be for students to understand the evolution of Quebec society. Such concepts as nationalism, federalism, sovereignty and hegemony will be examined. Forms of knowledge, with particular attention to the ways in which different forms can be identified, constructed, validated and used, will be examined using a multidisciplinary approach. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
What does it mean to be human? |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
With science steadily progressing in areas such as eugenics, the increasing attention surrounding bioethical issues and the struggle for religion and philosophy to describe the human condition in this current landscape, a definition of “being human” is a matter of renewed importance. This course will consider the question of what it means to be human from three distinct disciplines: science, philosophy and religion. The purpose of this course is to help students develop an analytical perspective on the concepts of humanness and personhood and what the ramifications for society each concept brings. It does so through an examination of the topic through different branches of learning in an effort to find a “working definition” of what it means to be human by looking at where the different disciplines intersect, complement and complete each other. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
What it Means to be Human |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
With science steadily progressing in areas such as eugenics; the increasing attention surrounding bioethical issues; and the struggle for religion and philosophy to describe the human condition in this current landscape, a definition of “being human” is a matter of renewed importance. This course will consider the question of what it means to be human from distinct disciplines, in an effort to build up a knowledge base for which one can answer the question: What does it mean to be Human? The purpose of this course is to help students develop an analytical perspective on the concepts of humanness and personhood and what the ramifications for society each concept brings. It does so through an examination of the topic through different branches of learning in an effort to find a “working definition” of what it means to be human by looking at where the different disciplines intersect, compliment and complete each other. |
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| 345-101-MQ |
Wild Geese: Women on the Move |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course introduces students to culture as a form of knowledge through which social issues and perceptions are communicated and through which they can be experienced and explored by the student. Through class discussion, lectures and texts, students will learn how to discern the social concerns of different historical periods by an examination of the literature and art that has been produced by women in Canadian culture. This course focuses on pioneering works reflective of new directions in social perception and on the employment of new techniques to explore or present social issues. Through this course, students will gain a more complete understanding of the changing role of women in society and in the creation of knowledge. |
|
| 345-101-MQ |
Women and War |
3 - 1 - 3 |
60 |
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| Description for Course: |
Our knowledge about war has been shaped for centuries by men's experiences; in fact, war in most cultures has been seen as the quintessentially male activity. Women's participation and support for war have been largely ignored, and women have long been linked more with peace than war. This course will examine recent research within the field of women’s/gender studies which focuses on women's experiences and questions the construction, use, and validity of these deeply-rooted beliefs that link men to war and women to peace. This study will demonstrate how our knowledge is often biased, partial and rooted in a social context, and provide students with a more complete understanding of the problem of war and of the role that women's/gender studies has played in expanding and reshaping our knowledge. |
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