PHIL304

What might it mean to know yourself, as Socrates advised, or to realize your full potential, as modern self-
help gurus urge us to do? How can caring for yourself be a political act, as Audre Lorde claimed? How does
one balance the need to develop the self with the need to develop one’s community? To what extent do we
depend on our communities to grow? When does a focus on self-growth become selfish? From Socrates, who
advocated for living an examined life, to Freud, who pointed out the difficulty if not impossibility of fully
knowing oneself, to today’s advocates for mindfulness and self-care, this course will survey the history of self-
improvement and self-help literature. Drawing upon ancient and modern philosophies from around the
world, students in this course will read thinkers who aim to teach us the art of living virtuously and happily
in order to achieve our best life. At the same time, students will read scholars who critique our culture of self-
help and warn of the dangers posed by certain purveyors of wellness and personal growth.