Experience and Reality (PHIL 230)

In this class, we will explore the question of what makes us and our experience of the world human. The questions we will discuss include: If we enhance human beings, for example give them x-ray vision or enable them to erase painful memories through dugs, is there a point when they stop being human and start to become something else? Are we essentially fragmented and irrational, and does acting on instinct make us less human? Conversely, can machines or animals feel, and is consciousness a crucial sign for determining that something is like us? We will be thinking about these sorts of questions as they pertain to the philosophy of mind and as they are expressed in film and literature. The course will also help improve writing and argumentation skills. The course is introductory and will not presuppose prior philosophy classes.

Anya Farennikova’s webpage