Seminar in Cultural Theory: The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity

Have we ever been modern? In this survey of the intellectual history of the German-speaking world from early nineteenth century to the present, we will read works by some of the most influential figures in the German tradition, including Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger, Adorno, Arendt, and Habermas. Our focus will be twofold. First, we will approach these thinkers on their own terms, seeking in particular to understand how they conceive of "modernity" -- both its promise and its perils, its origins and its others. Second, we will consider texts by a series of authors representing non-dominant cultural perspectives (e.g. feminist, queer, postcolonial, and ethnic studies) who have not only engaged critically with these canonical thinkers but also found them to be generative for their own work. Readings in English and/or German. Discussions in English.
Course Attributes:

Seminar in Cultural Theory: The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE 529

Section 01