Erasmus University Rotterdam - The Politics of Skepticism
- Offered byCoursera
- Public/Government Institute
The Politics of Skepticism at Coursera Overview
Duration | 13 hours |
Total fee | Free |
Mode of learning | Online |
Difficulty level | Intermediate |
Official Website | Explore Free Course  |
Credential | Certificate |
The Politics of Skepticism at Coursera Highlights
- Shareable Certificate Earn a Certificate upon completion
- 100% online Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
- Flexible deadlines Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
- Intermediate Level
- Approx. 13 hours to complete
- English Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish
The Politics of Skepticism at Coursera Course details
- This is a course about the history of Skepticism from the ancient Greeks to today, with special attention to the political ramifications of questioning man's ability to know the world and himself with any certainty. We will discuss the debates raging between Plato and the Sophists, the rise of Christianity in the Roman world, and the so-called 'Skeptical Crisis' of the Renaissance as well as Pierre Bayle's Skepticism and David Hume's. In addition the Natural Law tradition will be explored and the relationship between Skepticism and Conservatism.
- In the second part, we will explore the systematic relations between Skepticism and politics. What is skeptical doubt? When is doubt relevant? How does Skepticism relate to tolerance and to freedom of expression? And can it help us to solve political problems not only in a critical, but also in a creative way?
The Politics of Skepticism at Coursera Curriculum
Political Origins
Introduction
Plato versus the Sophists
Karl Popper versus Plato
"Plato, Protagoras, 317e-328d"
Suggested Reading: "Aristotle, Nicomachean ethics, III, 6-9"
"Plato, Republic, VIII, 555b-569c"
Skepticism and Religion
Skepticism and fideism
Montaigne to Bayle
"Bayle, Philosophical Commentary, II, 9."
Skepticism and Natural Law
David Hume
Skepticism and Natural Law
"Hume, Dialogues Concering Natural Religion"
"Grotius, The Law of War and Peace" (De Iure Belli ac Pacis)
Skepticism and Conservatism
Skepticism and Conservatism
Liberating Skepticism
"Hume, Part I, Essay III"
?There?s a method to his madness?: Responses to Cartesian Skepticism
Introduction: Responses to Cartesian Skepticism
John Locke?s response to Cartesian Skepticism
Abduction and Charles Peirce?s response to Cartesian Skepticism
Austin's response to Cartesian Skepticism
"Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, book II, chapter viii"
"Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, book IV, chapter xi"
"Austin, Other Minds, pp. 148-187"
Fallibilism, prejudices and toleration: Lessons from Pyrrhonian Skepticism
Introduction: Lessons from Pyrrhonian Skepticism
The limits of truth relativism.
The powers of positive Skepticism
The fallibilist argument for toleration
Suggested Reading: Locke's real essences
The marketplace of ideas: An imaginative argument for freedom of expression
An imaginative argument for freedom of expression
John Stuart Mill's argument for freedom of expression
Paul Feyerabend's principle of proliferation
"Mill, On Liberty, chapter 3"
"Mill, On Liberty, chapter 2"
The benefit of the doubt: Critical creative problem solving in politics
Critical creative problem solving in politics
The entanglement of critical and creative reasoning
The creation of contextual relevance and common ground in politics
"Bloom, Against Empathy"
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