PHIL 125 PZ -History of the Self

Institution: Pitzer

Description: Contemporary Americans tend to take for granted that we have a ‘self,’ but a closer look reveals to most of us that we don’t know what the self is. Moreover, it’s unclear that there is such a thing as a self, and whether it is a necessary idea. In this course, we will consider a variety of theories of selfhood from the history of Anglo-European philosophy in order to put pressure on contemporary assumptions about selfhood. Thinkers studied will include Augustine, Montaigne, Butler, Foucault, James, and Taylor. The course will utilize philosophical and historical methods in order to analyze critically the ways that our present-day understandings of the self are conditioned by the past.

Prerequisite(s): Please check course schedule for requirements.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal.