Course Catalog

Presents the work of Chaucer in the perspective of the European philosophical, humanistic, and poetic developments of his age. The Latin philosophical background includes consideration of the Augustinian ideal of Christian humanism and the traditions of speculation on Divine Providence. Considers the French poetic tradition and multilingual poetic traditions supporting the generic diversity of The Canterbury Tales.

In this course we examine how global languages constituted transnational communities in the premodern world. We will look at texts that illustrate premodern forms of cosmopolitanism wherein the use of a literary language like Sanskrit, Latin, and Arabic signals a local writer’s affiliation to global networks of cultural and political power. This course is cross-listed with linguistics. There are no prerequisites.

This course develops a philosophical analysis of three major ruptures in the history of theater: first, the initial Greek encounter between philosophy and theater; second the emergence of realism from Diderot to Stanislavsky; and finally modernism, marked by the groundbreaking explorations of Meyerhold, Brecht and Artaud. Four plays will be studied in tandem with theatrical manifestoes and philosophical texts.

Paris has always been a fertile meeting ground for artists and stimulates the imaginations of newcomers and natives alike. Writers, artists and—in the 20th century—filmmakers have come together in this magical space and shared their fascination with a city of lights, communally recognizing its potential to become home to their fantasies and at times, their despair. Students consider how the Parisian urban landscape is imagined differently by French native vs. expatriate or immigrant writers and filmmakers. They study the comparative methods for visualizing the city unique to writers and filmmakers respectively and gain historical perspective on the central place played by Paris in the evolution of literature and cinema. Titles for viewing and critical reading include: Alain Resnais’ Same Old Song, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and its contexts; André Breton’s Nadja; Raymond Queneau’s Zazie in the Metro and André Techiné’s The Girl on the RER. Excerpts from Jean-Luc Godard’s Parisian cycle will also be analyzed.