HONR 2030 - Crises in Contemporary Thought

4 credit hours
If the 18th and 19th Centuries produced some optimism about humanity and its prospects, the 20th and 21st centuries, with their unprecedented wars, ecological devastation, and global anxieties, led to grave doubts about the Western cultural heritage. Reading some of this period’s most trenchant thinkers, we will examine some of its most vexing questions. For example: What remains of religion and the belief and trust in God? Is the humanistic heritage all it is cracked up to be? Does capitalism enhance the quality of life on earth or does it produce misery and ecological devastation? Do we any longer believe in progress and the goodness of life? Do the contemporary global crises provide any new openings for other ways of thinking and living?