Seminar in Philosophy of Literature

Catalog description

This course builds on its precursor ( PHIL 113 ) to provide a deeper, more focused perspective on specific topics and issues, for example the nature of fiction and its relation to fact, the value of literary works of art (aesthetic, cognitive, educational, and social), and the nature and proper norms of literary interpretation, translation, analysis, and historiography. Assigned readings will typically be philosophical or (more broadly) theoretical in character, though the instructor may incorporate works of literature into the syllabus. In addition to skills in both the writing and the critical analysis of texts, students will deepen their appreciation of the value of literary representation and its relation to the distinct but closely related field of philosophical reflection.