PHIL 201

Summer 2011 All Classes

All Classes

Philosophy in Literature

Credit: 3 hours.

Consideration of the philosophical themes implicit in a variety of important literary works, both classical and modern; may include such authors as Sophocles, Shakespeare, Goethe, Dostoevsky, and Sartre.

This course satisfies the General Education Criteria in Fall 2022 for:

Humanities – Hist & Phil

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PHIL 201 class schedule data for summer 2011
	CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
	36008	Lecture-Discussion	WRS	1:00PM -3:50PM	MTWR	111 Gregory Hall	Schroeder, W	Part of Term: S1 Date Range: 05/16/11-06/10/11 Degree Notes: Hist&Philosoph Perspect course. Credit: 3 hours Section Info: This course will explore four different novels: Franz Kafka's The Trial, Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea, Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Haruki Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Kafka?s novel is about an accused man who attempts to prove his innocence without really understanding what he is accused of. Sartre?s novel explores an unnerving experiential transformation toward a more authentic way of living. Pirsig?s book is about technology, value, and selfhood (and how to relate to them in the best way possible); it concerns the relationship between father and son and, ultimately, the father to his past self. Murakami?s book is about how deeper levels of selfhood are related to everyday, na�ve ways of living. If you have not heard of him, his writing is imaginative, stimulating, and accessible. The goal of the class is both to illuminate the novels and to use them to provide a springboard for discussing the topics themselves. These topics are: our experience of value, selfhood, and how to live well. In addition to the novels, we will read a book that addresses issues of living well directly. This may be either Tom Nagel?s Mortal Questions, or Tom Hurka?s The Best Things in Life?a Guide to What Really Matters. Requirements will include two short assigned papers (4-6 pages) and a final exam. Each day?s session will be divided into two 80 minute periods with a 15-minute break between them. The goals of the class are to discuss some challenging novels together and think about some fascinating issues that are essential to everyday living. This course satisfies the Humanities General Education Requirement under Historical and Philosophical Perspectives. If you have any questions about the course, e-mail me at wschroed@illinois.edu