Are you conscious? If this question seems trivial, perhaps try this one: What is consciousness? Why does it feel so obvious that we are conscious without a reasonable definition of the term? What traits are sufficient for us to say that a being is conscious? What are the components necessary to create a consciousness? While enlightened minds have been wrestling with these questions for millennia, recent advances in science and intelligent technology have granted new insights to the problem and given our understanding of consciousness a new sense of urgency. In this class, we'll investigate frameworks through which scientists, philosophers, artists, writers, and technologists understand thought and the mind and how they can inform our personal, social, and civic lives.