Cornel West is one of the most profound, diverse, and intellectual thinkers of our time. Now he’s inviting you into the depths of his brilliant mind to teach you how thinking like a philosopher can help you navigate your personal relationships, your decision-making, and your everyday life by looking at the world from a completely different point of view.

Syllabus

Meet Your Instructor

Cornel West is an acclaimed academic and activist who believes philosophy is about raising questions where there are no clear answers. In this lesson, he establishes the fundamental ideas for the class that will open doors to new ideas and heighten meaning in your everyday life.

How to Think Like a Philosopher

Cornel walks you through his personal philosophy, explaining how applying critical thinking can help you navigate your everyday interactions and become a deeper thinker.

What It Means to Be Human

To understand humanity, you must first understand yourself. In this lesson, Cornel shares how to embark on a candid journey within and discover a better understanding of self.

Cultivating Compassion

In this lesson, Cornel explains how compassion is a form of love that is cultivated by ridding yourself of egoism.

Living a Wise and Courageous Life

Cornel provides techniques for connecting deeper with the human condition so you can move from being a spectator to a participant in your everyday interactions.

How Philosophy Serves Humanity

In this lesson, Cornel explains how philosophy is a counterweight against forms of dogma, and looking at humanity through a philosophical lens allows for members to better understand their own egotistical proclivities, resulting in becoming the best versions of themselves.

A Philosophical Take on Love

There are various forms of love that each of us is able to give and receive. In this lesson, Cornel explains what they are, how human beings are impacted by them, and the sacrifices required to achieve a love that allows you to become the best versions of yourself.

Hope and Optimism, Love and Loss

In this lesson, Cornel unsettles the mind and empowers the soul by illuminating the delicate interplay between hope, optimism, and despair.

The Importance of Receiving Love

Cornel shares a personal account of how the supernatural love he received from his mom and dad allowed him to define himself in spite of catastrophic circumstances.

Case Study: John Coltrane and A Love Supreme

In this lesson, Cornel explores how having a jazz-like conception of philosophy allows you to understand how music transfigures suffering, pain, and hurt into an expression that connects to humanity at large.

The Impact of Music on Community

Cornel expands on how the intersection of music and philosophy fosters relationships in a way that allows us to transcend all the pettiness that gets in the way of building healthy communities.

The Impact of Music on Humanity

In this lesson, Cornel explains how human beings can use music to process grief and how doing so can enable us to move forward.

Fostering the Best of Your Communal Roots

Cornel discusses the importance of communal practices, customs, and mores in providing us with the resources to understand and shape ourselves as distinct individuals.

Honesty, Trust, and Individuality in Community

Honesty is the key to living a wise and courageous life. In this lesson, Cornel unpacks how to own your sense of self and the key to understanding the difference between individuality within community and isolated individualism.