COURSE:

"The Contemporary Enlightenment"
"Science, Technology & Human Values"
(Philosophy of Science and Technology/PST 3127)

 Syllabus

Syllabus (Fall 2005)

PST3217 explores the philosophical theme of enlightenment. Philosophers throughout the ages, from ancient Greece to contemporary times, have maintained that human consciousness suffers from error, be it in our store of formal knowledge, our beliefs and values, or our interests and desires. In this view, we live in a world of “false” consciousness or illusion. In the enlightenment view, illusion is not accidental but is created with intent, produced and propagated by society’s institutions of education, religion, business, and government. Through critique individuals can come to recognize illusion, both as they have internalized it and as it manifests itself in the world around them. In a state of greater enlightenment, individuals may work to reform the illusion-creating systems, thereby attaining a higher degree of freedom.