Revolutions in Modern French Thought: Philosophical and Literary Perspectives

Catalog description

We will examine French philosophy and literature, beginning with the work of thinkers such as Rousseau and Voltaire who profoundly influenced both the French and American Revolutions, continuing with such 19th century writers as Balzac and Zola, and to the 20th century with Camus, Sartre, and de Beauvoir. We will pay particular attention to the social and political consequences of literary and philosophical works. The class will take two field trips.