Honors College 391AH - Honors Discovery Seminars

This seminar is a required course for Commonwealth Honors College students where students participate in a topical seminar-style course designed by its instructor. While the subject matter of each section is different, advanced knowledge of the topic is not required. While the subject matter of each section is different, the requirements for each section are the same. Individual titles and descriptions of HONORS 391AH sections can be found on the Commonwealth Honors College website.

Open to Senior, Junior, and Sophomore Commonwealth College students only. In 1893, Austrian philosopher/scientist, Rudolf Steiner, published a book exploring the basis for free will. His analysis of consciousness found intuitive thinking, the reflective thinking through which we acquire new concepts, to be the basis for true freedom of choice. Steiner founded various ongoing movements (Waldorf Education, Camphill communities serving people with developmental differences, biodynamic agriculture, and others). Although he published many books, he especially urged people to read this one, to truly enrich their lives. In this course we follow Steiner's logic, using critical reasoning, to develop an understanding of intuitive thinking and free will. Each week you will summarize a chapter by condensing each paragraph to a sentence, which is essential to grasping his intense chain of reasoning, and write a discussion question. We will also explore a series of meditative exercises he recommended for developing deeper capacities for intuitive thinking