The course provides a general introduction to the emergence and development of modernism, modernity, and modern culture from the 17th century to the present, with an emphasis on Western civilizations. Students query the distinctive qualities and transformations of the "modern" world by considering selected primary works in philosophy, history, literature, criticism, and the arts. Typical topics include the rise of rationalist, materialist, and empirical methods of knowing; the clash of traditional ideas and the new science; the quest for social, political, and economic liberty and justice; the conflict between individualism and collectivism; the tension between romantic and classical visions of humanity; the emergence and consequences of subjectivity; and the challenges of postmodern theory and practice. (Catalog Description)
Required Texts:
Blaisdell (ed.). The Communist Manifesto & Other Revolutionry Writings.
Camus, Albert. The Plague.
Codrescu, Andrei. The Posthuman Dada Guide.
Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality.
Guignon & Pereboom (eds.). Existentialism: Basic Writings.
Hume, David. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion.
Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract.
Sontag, Susan. On Photography.
We will also be analyzing two films for this course:
The Matrix.
The Dreamers.
Optional Film: 8 1/2.
Hume Dialogues Lecture Outline
Hubert Dreyfus' Lectures on Heidegger's Being and Time
Midterm Exam and a Good Response to that Exam
Foucault History of Sexuality Summary