Skepticism is about doubt, and doubt is everywhere in the world around us today. There are doubts about whether man-made climate change is real, whether vaccinations are harmful, whether we can trust our politicians or our media, and so on. When is such skepticism warranted, and when does it stray into unreasonable territory? How widespread can such skepticism get while still being coherent? How might a radical skepticism have pernicious social consequences, such as by leading to relativism (and just what is relativism, and what is problematic about it)? These are all questions that we will be engaging with in this course Along the way we will consider some important philosophical issues, such as what the nature of knowledge is, whether there are any good arguments that show that knowledge is impossible, and how a moderate skepticism might accord with an ancient conception of the good life of human flourishing, one that essentially involves the intellectual virtues. This course is aimed at anyone who is interested in learning more about philosophy, along with those who are looking for strategies to combat extremism in their communities. Using these approaches, no matter what your skill levels in topics you would like to master, you can change your thinking and change your life. In this course, learners will: Explore the concept of Skepticism Discuss the role of Skepticism in contemporary society Identify common responses to Skepticism Compare/Contrast various forms of Skepticism Apply knowledge of Skepticism to form a personal stance Recognize why knowledge is more than just true belief
SS
I really liked the panel discussions. Listening to different angles of skepticism was wonderful and helpful
JC
This course gives a very comprehensive of the topic of skepticism.
GS
Excellent course ... Very thought provoking ... Well structured ... Great learning materials ... Highly recommend it!
RH
Absolutely splendid course, wonderful lectures and reading matter. The last discussion of the panel was particularly inspirational
AK
I have no skeptics to rate this course after finishing the course.
PM
A very good course, well presented, informative, interesting.
AS
It was super journey! Thanks to Coursera instructor for your great input.
RD
Very well taught . I am very happy with this course.
SK
Very good learning experience. Addition of two peer graded essays is also good, because it gives a subjective hold on the topic.
BG
amazing panel discussions, truly an eye opener....thanks for this
NS
This is a well rounded course that explains the various aspects of skepticism and imparts a good understanding of developing critical thinking.
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Same university as the relativism course. Same glitches. Should not have passed peer review. Says I watched week 4 videos and I haven't.
I took this as a refresher course, but it's taught in an original way and I learned a great deal from it. I really can't fault the way the course is structured or the clarity and quality of the lectures. If I have any worries at all, it's that a lot of the assessment is based on peer marking, which is always likely to create problems, especially with low-traffic courses. However, I experienced no problems in this case. In all, if you're interested in the subject matter as advertised, I can recommend this course to you.
This is a course that makes you think. It is not an easy course since you have to face many philosophical concepts which seem very detached from daily life. But I am well educated. I think I will come back to this course and review some of the contents in the future.
It was super journey! Thanks to Coursera instructor for your great input.
Thank you to Professor Duncan Pritchard, and the others who executed and planned out the videos and brought out this interesting course out, That's made me more inclined to read on Philosophy much more and to the other lecturers in the discussions held out in the lecturers.
I have been extremely thrilled to learn more on skepticism and the works of other disciplines that look at skepticism in a different way.
I would highly recommend this course to any individual that's interested in learning about skepticism and the philosophical points expressed forward in this course and compared.
Very interesting and enlightment course. It help me to understand better the problem of radical skepticism. I recommend to all students that want deep understanding about present confusing media information.
I wish a happy life to all of you! Always Think of what can go better and never mind if you miss a letter! Skepticism and Philosophy can help us to everything!
This is a well rounded course that explains the various aspects of skepticism and imparts a good understanding of developing critical thinking.
Excellent course. Very focused and well supported with the material provided.
The panels were a great addition and they added a lot of value.
Absolutely splendid course, wonderful lectures and reading matter. The last discussion of the panel was particularly inspirational
Very good learning experience. Addition of two peer graded essays is also good, because it gives a subjective hold on the topic.
Excellent course ... Very thought provoking ... Well structured ... Great learning materials ... Highly recommend it!
I really liked the panel discussions. Listening to different angles of skepticism was wonderful and helpful
This course gives a very comprehensive of the topic of skepticism.
I have no skeptics to rate this course after finishing the course.
amazing panel discussions, truly an eye opener....thanks for this
A very good course, well presented, informative, interesting.
Well structured course.
Keeps one's mind thinking & critical
Very well taught . I am very happy with this course.
Great course. Thank you Professor Pritchard.