Philosophies of Anxiety

The National Education Association estimated in March 2019 that today’s teens are more anxious than ever. Against this troubling backdrop, this course will delve into different philosophical, psychological, medical, spiritual, and literary explorations of anxiety. We will challenge ourselves to put our current anxieties in conversation with those of different times and places. Has anxiety existed as long as humans have, or is it particular to the modern moment? What did anxiety look like in Ancient Greece, or during the first World War? What do contemporary studies of genetics and the brain have to say about anxiety and how to treat it? This broad-based survey will allow students to come to a greater understanding of anxiety and its variations through time and space.