Monthly Subscription Starting at AED 99 + VAT

The Politics of Skepticism
  • Level Professional
  • Duration 14 hours
  • Course by Erasmus University Rotterdam
  • Offered by

About

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?

Modules

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Introduction

Plato versus the Sophists

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • "Plato, Protagoras, 317e-238d"

1 Videos

  • Plato versus the Sophists

2 Readings

  • "Plato, Protagoras, 317e-328d"
  • Suggested Reading: "Aristotle, Nicomachean ethics, III, 6-9"

Popper versus Plato

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
Show info about module content

2 Discussions

  • "Plato, Republic, VIII, 555b-569c" - Question 1
  • "Plato, Republic, VIII, 555b-569c" - Question 2

1 Videos

  • Karl Popper versus Plato

1 Readings

  • "Plato, Republic, VIII, 555b-569c"

Skepticism and Fideism

    • 1 Videos
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Skepticism and fideism

Montaigne to Bayle

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • "Bayle, Philosophical Commentary, II, 9."

1 Videos

  • Montaigne to Bayle

1 Readings

  • "Bayle, Philosophical Commentary, II, 9."

David Hume

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • How convincing is Hume's conclusion to the Dialogues?

1 Videos

  • David Hume

1 Readings

  • "Hume, Dialogues Concering Natural Religion"

Skepticism and Natural Law

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • "Grotius, The Law of War and Peace"

1 Videos

  • Skepticism and Natural Law

1 Readings

  • "Grotius, The Law of War and Peace" (De Iure Belli ac Pacis)

Skepticism and Conservatism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
Show info about module content

2 Discussions

  • "Hume, Part 1, Essay III" - Question 1
  • "Hume, Part 1, Essay III" - Question 2

1 Videos

  • Skepticism and Conservatism

1 Readings

  • "Hume, Part I, Essay III"

Liberating Skepticism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Questioning Moses' authorship of the first five books of the Old Testament

1 Videos

  • Liberating Skepticism

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Introduction: Responses to Cartesian Skepticism

“Nobody can, in earnest, be so skeptical”: John Locke’s response to Cartesian Skepticism

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
Show info about module content

2 Discussions

  • "Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, book II, chapter viii"
  • "Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, book IV, chapter xi"

1 Videos

  • John Locke’s response to Cartesian Skepticism

2 Readings

  • "Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, book II, chapter viii"
  • "Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, book IV, chapter xi"

“You know my methods, Watson”: Abduction and Charles Peirce’s response to Cartesian Skepticism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Rear Window

1 Videos

  • Abduction and Charles Peirce’s response to Cartesian Skepticism

“Enough is enough: it doesn’t mean everything”: Austin’s response to Cartesian Skepticism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • "Austin, Other Minds, pp. 148-187"

1 Videos

  • Austin's response to Cartesian Skepticism

1 Readings

  • "Austin, Other Minds, pp. 148-187"

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Introduction: Lessons from Pyrrhonian Skepticism

Truth for everyone: The limits of truth relativism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Underground

1 Videos

  • The limits of truth relativism.

One never knows: The powers of positive Skepticism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • The relation between Pyrrhonism and Locke

1 Videos

  • The powers of positive Skepticism

1 Readings

  • Suggested Reading: Locke's real essences

Nobody knows: The fallibilist argument for toleration

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Nathan the Wise

1 Videos

  • The fallibilist argument for toleration

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • An imaginative argument for freedom of expression

The invisible hand of truth: John Stuart Mill's argument for freedom of expression

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
Show info about module content

2 Discussions

  • "Mill, On Liberty, chapter 3"
  • "Mill, On Liberty, chapter 2"

1 Videos

  • John Stuart Mill's argument for freedom of expression

2 Readings

  • "Mill, On Liberty, chapter 3"
  • "Mill, On Liberty, chapter 2"

An ever expanding ocean of alternatives: Paul Feyerabend's principle of proliferation

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • The true intellectual heir to Mill

1 Videos

  • Paul Feyerabend's principle of proliferation

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Critical creative problem solving in politics

"And your doubt can become a good quality if you train it": The entanglement of critical and creative reasoning

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Merchants of Doubt

1 Videos

  • The entanglement of critical and creative reasoning

"Time to put the pieces together" - Engaging in dialogue: The creation of contextual relevance and common ground in politics

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • "Bloom, Against Empathy"

1 Videos

  • The creation of contextual relevance and common ground in politics

1 Readings

  • "Bloom, Against Empathy"

Auto Summary

"The Politics of Skepticism" is a comprehensive course offered by Coursera, delving into the history and political implications of Skepticism from ancient Greece to modern times. Led by an expert instructor, this professional-level course spans 840 minutes and covers key debates, the rise of Christianity, Renaissance Skepticism, and the interplay between Skepticism and Conservatism. It also examines the role of skeptical doubt in politics, tolerance, and freedom of expression. Ideal for those in Health & Fitness, subscriptions are available in Starter and Professional tiers.

Wiep van Bunge
Instructors

Wiep van Bunge

Tim De Mey
Instructors

Tim De Mey