Meaning, Truth, and Sense: an exploration

HON 410

In this course we’ll tackle some of humanity’s deepest, dearest questions relating to purpose and meaning. The exploration will include:

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*questions relating to myths, rituals, religion, and neuropsychology, as discussed in

Jordan Peterson’s "Maps of Meaning"

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*questions relating to ancient and resurgent shamanistic realities, as discussed in

Michael Harner’s "The Way of the Shaman"

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*questions relating to the value and existential risk of machine intelligence, as discussed in Nick Bostrom’s "Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies" and

"The Vulnerable World Hypothesis" and "Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?"

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We may or may not find definitive answers to any of the questions posed...but we’ll have a great time wandering around in the possibilities!

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This will be a writing intensive class, as “writing as a tool for sense-making” will be

an ongoing theme.