PHIL 50.37 Self-Consciousness
This seminar examines leading proposals for understanding self-consciousness, self-knowledge, and their significance in the philosophy of mind, philosophy of action, and theories of the self. We will address questions such as these: How are ‘I’-thoughts properly conceived? Are they irreducible, or is there some way in which they can be explained in other terms? In what sense, if any, are you directly acquainted with your own states of mind? Is self-knowledge perceptual? Is it constitutive of one’s status as a rational being? How should our answers to these and related questions affect how we conceive of the self and its capacities?
Prerequisite
Two Philosophy courses, or permission of the instructor.