Know Thyself - The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge The Unconscious
A challenging but fascinating topic on the way to achieving self-knowledge is the unconscious. For well over a century, psychologists, philosophers, and many others have posited a level of mentality that is not immediately open to introspection; some would even say that certain unconscious elements cannot be known through introspection. This course will examine some of the most influential ideas about the unconscious starting with the work of Sigmund Freud, and follow the development of theories of the unconscious all the way to present research in experimental psychology. But be warned: some of the things you may learn about your unconscious mind may be surprising, and possibly even disturbing!—
This course was created by a partnership between The University of Edinburgh and Humility & Conviction and Public Life Project, an engaged research project based at the University of Connecticut and funded by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
Gain an appreciation of the relation of methods of learning about oneself that do not depend on introspection.
Become familiar with contemporary research in experimental social psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience into the emotions and the unconscious.
Understand the role of affect in decision making, and self-deception.
Be able to identify and analyse unconscious mechanisms motivating own and other people's actions.
Syllabus
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Getting started
The Freudian Unconscious
Week 2
Freud’s legacy
Week 3
The Adaptive Unconscious
Week 4
Rationality and Emotions
Final assessment
FAQ
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Reviews
Very insightful course, I really enjoyed it. It also gave a lot of extra source material that was very helpful in getting a better understanding of concepts.
Really outstanding. The course lectures were extremely good. The supplementary material were of very high quality. Learnt a lot.
This course gave me a deeper understanding of my unconscious mind but, more importantly, a curiosity to explore the subject more.
This course was very interesting and it had me deep in thought. The lecturer was amazing and was able to communicate really well.
