The Self before Selfies: The Birth of Individualism

Catalog description

In an era of social media profiles and preening, personal brands and algorithms for consumer preferences, when we all have to find out who we are and what our life path might be, contemporary life overwhelmingly emphasizes becoming an individual who is different from, yet admired by, others. How did this all begin? This course seeks to examine the history of individualism, what the limits of individualism are, and why it matters. Readings will begin in the Renaissance, but will flash forward and backward. Along the way, we will also ask: to what extent can we know the past and even the present through looking at the life of one individual?