Enrichment Courses

How to Think

Nothing––not what you “do,” not what you “studied”––guarantees that you know how to think. In this course, we investigate what it means to be a good thinker: the habits and techniques, the discipline and the shortcuts. We consider whether there’s such a thing as good thinking across time and space. And, of course, we develop our own skills as thinkers, putting theory into practice. Topics and readings include: mental models, heuristics, Plato, Dennett, Bayesian reasoning, Orwell, Feynman, etc.

Introduction to Proof-Based Mathematics

Mathematics in college can look very different than it does in high school. The imperative shifts from “solve” to “prove.” This course teaches students how to prove mathematical propositions, mostly from areas they’re already familiar with. Suggested prerequisite: “How to Think.”

Topics in Normative Ethics

Are we ever allowed to lie? Is killing the same as letting die? Can you ever break a promise? If so, when and why?––These are just some of the tricky moral questions that confront us over the course of our lives. This course introduces students to the discipline of trying to answer these questions systematically. Some crucial readings from the history of philosophy are presented, but emphasis is on the student’s own reasoning. Suggested prerequisite: “How to Think.”

Socrates and the Art of Philosophizing

The principal text for this mini-course is Plato’s "Apology," in which Socrates stands trial for philosophizing around the city––or, as the jury puts it, corrupting the youth, and making bad arguments look good. By reading this and other Platonic dialogues closely, we will develop an answer to the question: What do philosophers do when they philosophize? (Or at least: What was Socrates doing?)

Custom

Design your own course, 4- to 14-weeks long.