Origins of Critical Thought: What Can I Know?

This course offers an introduction to German critical thought, focusing on theories of knowledge that have profoundly shaped modern intellectual discourse. Beginning with the philosophical revolution sparked by Kant's examination of the limits of human knowledge, we will explore how thinkers such as Hegel and Marx analyzed knowledge's historical and material conditions and grapple with Nietzsche's and Freud's discovery of the unconscious. Classical sources will be read alongside modern thinkers, including Arendt, Foucault, and Angela Davis. Our overarching goal is to introduce key concepts of critical thought and probe their relevance today.