Knowledge and Controversy: Learning from Disagreement

Nobody is infallible. When people disagree with us, they give us an opportunity to reexamine our beliefs and "take precautions against our fallibility" (J.S. Mill, On Liberty). So we should be humble and open minded, not stubborn and intolerant. And a good society should welcome disagreement rather than stifle it. Or so John Stewart Mill, a 19th century philosopher, argues in his famous defense of free speech. In this course, we will examine the significance of disagreement for our intellectual lives. Some of the questions we will ask are these: How can we best structure society and educational institutions so that we can learn from others? How should we, as individuals, respond to disagreement if our goal is to gain knowledge? Would we, as knowers, do well to limit our exposure to opinions from certain sources, like those we deem "fake news"? Many of the deepest disagreements in our society concern not just the facts but how we should establish what the facts are. The disagreements over climate change, the safety of vaccines, and some religious disagreements fall into this category. What is the rational response to such disagreements? Can they be resolved? If not, can we decide together what the best social policies are? Students participating in July Experience take one morning class and one afternoon class each day, Monday through Friday. Classes meet for 90 minutes, with the possibility of additional laboratory sessions in selected courses. July Experience courses although taught with college-level rigor, do not carry any secondary school or college credit. This allows students to take risks and explore curriculum without the pressure of impacting his or her permanent record. Courses are graded on an Honors/Pass/Fail basis and a detailed written letter to parents/guardians is provided by each professor after the conclusion of the program. Students will have the opportunity to select their class preferences after they have been admitted to the program. To ensure small class sizes, students may be assigned second or third choices. The total cost of July Experience 2019 is $4,000. Tuition covers the following areas: Room and board (all meals and self-service laundry), Textbook(s) for use during the duration of the program, and Scheduled activity costs/fees. Tuition does not include travel expenses and personal spending money. Application process includes: online application, transcript, school profile, counselor recommendation form, teacher recommendation form, essay. Students must complete the Online Application in its entirety and submit it in one online session. Financial aid is available with the completion of an additional scholarship application.