PL 4300 - Imagining the World: The Poetic Mind in the Digital Age

One of the most significant and powerful shifts in human thought began in Europe around the 15th century. With the rise of modern sciences, a reimagining of the world took hold, one that, in a relatively short time, has shifted our way of thinking about ourselves in radical and significant ways. Today we refer to ourselves as hard‐wired and study brain function to explain what, not so long ago, was considered the unique and mysterious phenomenon of mind or soul. As our understanding of the world becomes more and more available to us through the objective language of the sciences it becomes increasingly important to ask what is the place of the poetic in an age defined by scientific rationalism? Are there some truths that might simply not be amenable to the methodology of science? What is the relationship between the rational and the poetic? This course will examine the ways in which the poetic mind remains an essential requirement for any genuine understanding of ourselves and our experience. (4 Credits)