Course Description
The interrelationships between literature and philosophy in seventeenth-century Europe, with special emphasis on the relevance of the texts under discussion to contemporary society.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Additional reading, writing, and research assignments.
Athena Title
Philosophy and Lit 17th Cent
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
- to acquaint students with the literature of seventeenth- century Europe, with special emphasis on the philosophical currents of that period and relevance of the texts under discussion to contemporary society; - to situate those works in relation to the other arts and the sciences of the period; - to elucidate the cultural and intellectual components of these period designations; - to enhance students' critical abilities through the analysis of individual literary works; - to improve students' communication skills through oral presentations and expository writing assignments. Students' performances will be assessed through presentations, tests, papers, and a final examination.
Topical Outline
The course is structured by the readings, which vary with the individual instructor. Topics frequently covered include: rationalism vs. empiricism; life as a dream and the world as a stage; incarnation and transubstantiation; allegory and history; spectacle, theater, and the manifestation of power; artifice, decoration, and the ornamental. The following is a sample syllabus of readings for a single semester: Shakespeare. Hamlet Descartes. Meditations Pascal. Pensees Spinoza. Ethics (selections) Hobbes. Leviathan (selections) Tasso. Jerusalem Delivered Aubigne. Les Tragiques Gryphius. Simplicissimus Calderon. Life Is a Dream Gongora. Selected Poetry Donne. Selected Poetry Corneille. Horace Milton. Paradise Lost
Syllabus