PHIL 209 - Philosophy and Literature

CR: 3.0
An examination of the relationship between philosophy and literature, including reading classic and contemporary literary texts as philosophy and reading representative philosophical texts as literature. Commonalities and distinctions between these two modes of discourse, as well as their historical influence on one another, will be considered. Possible figures to be covered include Kafka, Borges, Baldwin, Beauvoir, Calvino, Kierkegaard, Nietzche, Morrison, Eliot, Barthes, Foucault, and Deleuze. When taught during a 3-week term, this course includes travel to one or two locations for up to two and a half weeks and will focus on the role of place in shaping literary production. Students will be responsible for the travel costs of this course and may apply for a Grant for Engaged Learning (GEL) to offset these expenses. This course may be repeated if the topic changes.