Courses

PHIL B101 Happiness and Reality in Ancient Thought

Fall 2024

What makes us happy? The wisdom of the ancient world has importantly shaped the tradition of Western thought but in some important respects it has been rejected or forgotten. What is the nature of reality? Can we have knowledge about the world and ourselves, and, if so, how? In this course we explore answers to these sorts of metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, and political questions by examining the works of the two central Greek philosophers: Plato and Aristotle. We will consider earlier Greek religious and dramatic writings, a few Presocratic philosophers, and the person of Socrates who never wrote a word.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: Classical Studies.

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PHIL B102 Science and Morality in Modernity

Spring 2025

In this course, we explore answers to fundamental questions about the nature of the world and our place in it by examining the works of some of the central figures in modern western philosophy. Can we obtain knowledge of the world and, if so, how? Does God exist? What is the nature of the self? How do we determine morally right answers? What sorts of policies and political structures can best promote justice and equality? These questions were addressed in "modern" Europe in the context of the development of modern science and the religious wars. In a time of globalization we are all, more or less, heirs of the Enlightenment which sees its legacy to be modern science and the mastery of nature together with democracy and human rights. This course explores the above questions and considers them in their historical context. Some of the philosophers considered include Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, and Wollstonecraft.

Writing Attentive

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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PHIL B103 Introduction to Logic

Spring 2025

Logic is the study of formal reasoning, which concerns the nature of valid arguments and inferential fallacies. In everyday life our arguments tend to be informal and sometimes imprecise. The study of logic concerns the structure and nature of arguments, and so helps to analyze them more precisely. Topics will include: valid and invalid arguments, determining the logical structure of ordinary sentences, reasoning with truth-functional connectives, and inferences involving quantifiers and predicates. This course does not presuppose any background knowledge in logic.

Quantitative Methods (QM)

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PHIL B206 Introduction to the Philosophy of Science

Not offered 2024-25

Scientific ideas and inferences have a huge impact on our daily lives and the lives of practicing scientists. But what is science, how does it work, and what does it able us to know? In this introductory course, we will be considering some traditional philosophical questions applied to the foundations and practice of natural science. These questions may include the history of philosophical approaches in science, the nature of scientific knowledge, changes in scientific knowledge over time, how science provides explanations of what we observe, the justification of false assumptions in science, the nature of scientific theories, and some questions about the ethics and values involved in scientific practice.

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PHIL B208 Black Political and Social Thought

Not offered 2024-25

In this class, we will focus our attention on the philosophical works of a diverse range of Black thinkers, both historical and contemporary, who take up questions about race, racism, oppression, authenticity, solidarity, justice freedom, power, identity, and beauty. This is a discussion-based class, and at least one previous course in philosophy is strongly recommended. Prerequisite: At least one previous course in Philosophy is strongly recommended.

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PHIL B211 Theory of Knowledge

Fall 2024

Epistemology focuses on three central philosophical questions: "What is knowledge?", "What can we know?", and "How do we know what we know?" In addition to their role in our daily lives, these questions are central to almost every discipline include the sciences, history, and philosophy itself. This course is an extended investigation into the nature of knowledge, understanding, and justification. We will look at a number of debates including skepticism, relativism, the value of knowledge, the nature of understanding, scientific knowledge, scientific realism, naturalistic epistemology, feminist epistemology, testimonial knowledge, and pragmatic influences on knowledge. The aim of this course is to develop a sense of how these concepts and theories interrelate, and to instill philosophical skills in the critical evaluation of them.

Writing Attentive

Critical Interpretation (CI)

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PHIL B212 Metaphysics

Fall 2024

Metaphysics is inquiry into basic features of the world and ourselves. This course considers two topics of metaphysics, free will and personal identity, and their relationship. What is free will and are we free? Is freedom compatible with determinism? Does moral responsibility require free will? What makes someone the same person over time? Can a person survive without their body? Is the recognition of others required to be a person?

Writing Attentive

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Classical Studies.

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PHIL B220 Dreams and Philosophy

Not offered 2024-25

Philosophers have long puzzled over the nature of dreams and what they can teach us about ourselves and our world. This course surveys the philosophy of dreams, from Socrates' Dream in the Theaetetus, to Descartes' skepticism, to contemporary debates in cognitive science. Some questions that we will discuss include: Why do we dream? Are dreams different from hallucinations, and how so? Can you learn something new in a dream? Are dreams conscious, or are they more like false memories that you invent upon waking? How can scientists best study dreams? We will analyze arguments from philosophy and the relevant sciences in order to reveal the philosophical significance of dreams.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

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PHIL B221 Ethics

Fall 2024

An introduction to ethics by way of an examination of moral theories and a discussion of important ancient, modern, and contemporary texts which established theories such as virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism, relativism, emotivism, care ethics. This course considers questions concerning freedom, responsibility, and obligation. How should we live our lives and interact with others? How should we think about ethics in a global context? Is ethics independent of culture? A variety of practical issues such as reproductive rights, euthanasia, animal rights and the environment will be considered.

Writing Attentive

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Gender Sexuality Studies; International Studies; International Studies.

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PHIL B225 Global Ethical Issues

Not offered 2024-25

The need for a critical analysis of what justice is and requires has become urgent in a context of increasing globalization, the emergence of new forms of conflict and war, high rates of poverty within and across borders and the prospect of environmental devastation. This course examines prevailing theories and issues of justice as well as approaches and challenges by non-western, post-colonial, feminist, race, class, and disability theorists.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: Gender Sexuality Studies; International Studies; International Studies; Political Science.

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PHIL B226 Authority, Obligation, and Justice

Not offered 2024-25

What gives the government the right to tell us what to do? When and why should we obey the law? What is a just society? These are some of the most important questions of political philosophy. In the liberal tradition, one of the most influential answers to these questions is the idea of the social contract, which centers on the agreement of society's members to live by certain rules. In this course, we'll examine this idea from the early modern period to the present day. We'll also discuss its criticisms and alternatives from traditions such as utilitarianism, Marxism, feminism, and critical race theory

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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PHIL B227 Contemporary Moral Problems

Spring 2025

This is an introductory survey course in which we will discuss the philosophical dimensions of several contemporary moral issues including affirmative action, the ethics of immigration, our obligations to the world's poor, abortion, our treatment of non-human animals, and so on. As we delve into specific issues, we will also explore different conceptions of morality and justice that justify particular responses regarding these issues.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

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PHIL B230 Tragedy and the Value of Life

Fall 2024

Tragic dramas present tales of human misery, drawing our attention to precisely those aspects of life that seem to put its value in question. What, then, do these bleak tales ultimately suggest about our prospects for happiness? Do tragic works simply condemn life, identifying its horrible features and leaving it at that? Alternatively, do they help identify places where life could be improved, or perhaps even offer a surprising celebration of life's value? In this class, we will consider the answers to these questions offered by a variety of historical and contemporary thinkers. We will also test these thinkers' answers against some of the tragic dramas they seek to explain. Philosophers discussed will include Schopenhauer, Hegel, Nietzsche, Camus, Weil, Williams, Nussbaum, and Murdoch. Plays read will include work by Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Shakespeare.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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PHIL B233 Philosophy of Life and Death

Spring 2025

Death seems to be an unavoidable feature of human life. Our task in this class will be to consider what this means for life's value. Are our lives better for having an end, or does having an end undermine life's worth? Moreover, should we even view death as an end in the first place? We will consider a range of different answers to these questions defended by thinkers including Plato, Epicurus, Lucretius, Zhuangzi, Unamuno, Kierkegaard, Williams, Nussbaum, Setiya, and May.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

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PHIL B234 Public Art, Historical Preservation, and the Ethics of Commemoration

Not offered 2024-25

Philadelphia has the largest number of public artworks in the country and is also the first city in the nation to require that developers use a portion of their construction budget for public art. It is also home to a number of well-known memorials. In this course, we will take up a number of philosophical questions about the nature of public art, political aesthetics, and the ethics of commemoration using case studies drawn from Philadelphia. Some of the questions we will consider include the following: What is public art? What is public space? What is the role of public art in a democracy? Is there a distinct category of "street art" which can be distinguished from public art on the one hand and graffiti on the other? What is the moral value of commemorative art? What, if anything, do we have a moral obligation to commemorate and what grounds that obligation? How should we assess controversies surrounding the removal of art honoring persons or groups many judge to be morally objectionable, such as Confederate monuments? How should we memorialize victims of injustice? Prerequisites: At least one previous Philosophy class is suggested.

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PHIL B238 Science, Technology and the Good Life

Not offered 2024-25

Science, Technology, and the Good Life considers the relation of science and technology to each other and to everyday life, particularly with respect to questions of ethics and politics. In this course, we try to get clear about how we understand these domains and their interrelationships in our contemporary world. We try to clarify the issues relevant to these questions by looking at the contemporary debates about the role of automation and digital media and the problem of climate change. These debates raise many questions including: the appropriate model of scientific inquiry (is there a single model for science?, how is science both experimental and deductive?, is science merely trial and error?, is science objective?, is science value-free?), the ideological standing of science (has science become a kind of ideology?), the autonomy of technology (have the rapidly developing technologies escaped our power to direct them?), the politics of science (is science somehow essentially democratic?, and are "scientific" cultures more likely to foster democracy?, or is a scientific culture essentially elitist and autocratic?), the relation of science to the formation of public policy (experts rule?, are we in or moving toward a technocracy?), the role of technology and science in the process of modernization, Westernization, and globalization (what role has science played in industrialization and what role does it now play in a post-industrial world?). To find an appropriate way to consider these questions, we look at the pairing of science with democracy in the Enlightenment project and study contemporary work in the philosophy of science, political science, and ethics.

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PHIL B240 Environmental Ethics

Not offered 2024-25

This course surveys rights- and justice-based justifications for ethical positions on the environment. It examines approaches such as stewardship, intrinsic value, land ethic, deep ecology, ecofeminism, Asian and aboriginal. It explores issues such as obligations to future generations, to nonhumans and to the biosphere.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC)

Counts Toward: Environmental Studies; Environmental Studies; Political Science.

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PHIL B248 Markets and Morality

Not offered 2024-25

Markets are everywhere today: if you want to find a job, if you want to buy some good, or if you want to sell some service, you will inevitably have to submit yourself to their norms. Yet, this omnipresence of markets raises fundamental ethical questions. Is it really good that we organize exchange and production largely through markets? How are societies and individuals impacted by centrally relying on them? Should we, much rather, prefer a planned economy? Or would such a planned economy unduly constrain people's freedom? And, if we opt for markets, what are their moral limits? Should human organs or access to lawmakers be distributed via a market? Should access to health-care be governed by market principles? This seminar explores these ethical and political questions through an unusually diverse set of texts. The syllabus brings together a broad set of perspectives from both the history of philosophy as well as from the contemporary Anglo-American debate. That way, we draw on a broad set of ideas in order to tackle the philosophical, moral and existential challenge that markets pose: and, while going along, familiarize ourselves with classic authors from both the European and Anglo-American traditions in social/political philosophy.

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PHIL B249 Ideology and Propaganda

Fall 2024

In contemporary political discourse, we often hear the accusation that a belief is "mere ideology" or that an utterance is "pure propaganda." We sometimes even hear that we live in an age of heightened "ideological conflict" or that we are now more than ever inundated by propaganda. What do we mean, though, by "ideology"? And what do we mean by "propaganda"? What is their relationship to one another? What is their relationship to truth? And what is their relationship to our ethical and political values? In this course, we will examine these questions from both historical and contemporary perspectives, tracing "ideology" and "propaganda" from their origins in the early-modern critique of prejudice, through Marx and the Marxist tradition, to cutting-edge debates among recent political philosophers - all with the aim of developing a sharper analysis of ideology and propaganda as they function in the real world.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Power, Inequity, and Justice (PIJ)

Counts Toward: International Studies.

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PHIL B251 Women Philosophers in the Long 19th Century

Not offered 2024-25

The history of 19th century European philosophy is often told exclusively as a history of male voices - as a story 'From Kant to Hegel', 'From Hegel to Marx' and so on. By contrast, the voices of women philosophers (such as Karoline von Günderrode, Bettina von Arnim or Clara Zetkin) are rarely remembered, and even less frequently taught. This course aims to change that. Reading a wide array of texts written by women intellectuals of the time, we will aim to understand their philosophical contributions to German Idealism (e.g. Günderrode and Arnim), Feminism (e.g. Zetkin and Hedwig Dohm) and classical Socialism (e.g. Rosa Luxemburg). We will also examine their relationship to, and, more importantly, their critique of the work of some of their male counterparts (such as Fichte, Schelling, Marx and Nietzsche). Finally, we will consider why these women voices have been so frequently neglected - and why it is, from a contemporary philosophical standpoint, worthwhile to discover them again.

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PHIL B252 Feminist Theory

Spring 2025

Beliefs that gender discrimination has been eliminated and women have achieved equality have become commonplace. We challenge these assumptions examining the concepts of patriarchy, sexism, and oppression. Exploring concepts central to feminist theory, we attend to the history of feminist theory and contemporary accounts of women's place and status in different societies, varied experiences, and the impact of the phenomenon of globalization. We then explore the relevance of gender to philosophical questions about identity and agency with respect to moral, social and political theory. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission of instructor.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Gender Sexuality Studies; Political Science.

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PHIL B255 Philosophy of Love and Friendship

Not offered 2024-25

The course examines various philosophical accounts of the nature of love and friendship, approaching the topic from a number of perspectives that range from ancient dialogues to contemporary articles. By investigating several philosophical positions on love and friendship, we aim to clarify and understand what these phenomena mean to us. Readings will draw from various philosophical sources, including (but not limited to): classical dialogues and treatises, essays, psychoanalysis, sermons, political science, and literary studies. Among other questions, we will explore the following: What is love? Is it an emotion? a skill? an activity? What is friendship and what are its varieties? Do we need love and friendship to be happy? What do we love: someone's singular personality or the repeatable qualities that they possess? Are friends replaceable? Can lovers be friends? Should we love our enemies

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PHIL B258 Data Ethics in Social Media

Not offered 2024-25

From sharing our life experiences to reading the news, social media permeates our daily lives. It affects how we communicate, what we buy, and who we vote for. It also generates an immense amount of data, which is eagerly collected by individuals, corporations, and governments. In this course we will investigate some of the threats (and promises) of this data. We will ask questions like: What is the value of privacy online, and how might it be protected? Are we being manipulated by algorithms? Are the algorithms that generate and moderate content biased? What are some of the ways online data can be used for good? Students will investigate these questions through practical and theoretical approaches. Course materials will be drawn from diverse sources including philosophy, data science, sociology, legal theory, and the Internet. Visiting speakers will enrich our discussion by offering academic and professional perspectives on the uses and misuses of data.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Data Science.

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PHIL B271 Minds and Machines

Not offered 2024-25

What is the relationship between the mind and the body? What is consciousness? Is your mind like a computer, or do some aspects of the mind resist this analogy? Is it possible to build an artificial mind? In this course, we'll explore these questions and more, drawing on perspectives from philosophy, psychology and cognitive neuroscience. We will consider the viability of different ways of understanding the relationship between mind and body as a framework for studying the mind, as well as the distinctive issues that arise in connection with the phenomenon of consciousness. No prior knowledge or experience with any of the subfields is assumed or necessary.

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PHIL B305 Topics in Value.

Section 001 (Fall 2024): The Ethics of 'Wokeness"

Fall 2024

This is a topics course. Topics may vary.

Current topic description: In this discussion-based seminar we will consider the philosophical underpinnings of a number of concepts commonly associated with "wokeness." Topics will include no platforming, microaggressions, white privilege, emotional labor, moral deference, gaslighting, tone policing, cancel culture, and more. Our goal will be to critically explore the ethical and sociopolitical assumptions and implications of these ideas. Our readings will be drawn from contemporary analytic philosophy, feminist philosophy, and critical race theory.

Writing Attentive

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PHIL B309 Topics in Philosophy

Section 001 (Fall 2023): Language, Meaning & Society
Section 001 (Spring 2024): Truth, Science, & Politics
Section 002 (Spring 2024): Hegel & Comedy
Section 001 (Spring 2025): Technology and the Human

Spring 2025

This is a topics course, and the description varies according to the topic. Prerequistie: At least one previous Philosophy course is required.

Current topic description: Human beings are tool-using and tool-producing animals. Technology plays an essential role in all of our lives: it satisfies our needs, it lessens our burdens, it facilitates our social exchanges, and it furnishes us with ever new capabilities. It also shapes our lives in complex, sometimes obscure ways - and not always for the better. In this course, we will examine technology from a philosophical point of view with the aim of understanding both (1) the nature of technological artifacts and (2) their impact on human life. Is technology an extension of the human will? How does it contribute to human flourishing? What role does it play in generating or eliminating social inequalities? Does technology have a will of its own? Has its progress outstripped human control? At the end of the course, we will apply our analysis of technology to the topic of artificial intelligence.

Course does not meet an Approach

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PHIL B319 Philosophy of Mind

Not offered 2024-25

The conscious mind remains a philosophical and scientific mystery. In this course, we will explore the nature of consciousness and its place in the physical world. Some questions we will consider include: How is consciousness related to the brain and the body? Are minds a kind of computer? Is the conscious mind something non-physical or immaterial? Is it possible to have a science of consciousness, or will consciousness inevitably resist scientific explanation? We will explore these questions from a philosophical perspective that draws on relevant literature from cognitive neuroscience.

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PHIL B330 Kant

Not offered 2024-25

The significance of Kant's transcendental philosophy for thought in the 19th and 20th centuries cannot be overstated. His work is profoundly important for both the analytical and the so-called "continental" schools of thought. This course will provide a close study of Kant's breakthrough work: The Critique of Pure Reason. We will read and discuss the text with reference to its historical context and with respect to its impact on developments in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, philosophy of religion as well as developments in German Idealism, 20th-century phenomenology., and contemporary analytic philosophy. Prerequisite: PHIL 102 or at least one 200 level Philosophy course.

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PHIL B334 Karl Marx and his critics

Not offered 2024-25

Karl Marx is one of those philosophers who are often cited, but not equally as often carefully read. This seminar aims to change this. It offers a close reading of Karl Marx's most important philosophical works, alongside the work of his most influential critics. We will begin, in the first part of the course, by considering Marx's early fragments, his revolutionary political writings and the economic-philosophical theory of Capital. In the second half of the course, we will examine criticisms from both the left and the right: criticisms that target Marx's labor theory of value, his theory of history, or his theory of alienation. Special attention will be paid to criticisms that argue that he lacks attention to the way that economic oppression intersects with structural racism, structural misogyny and colonialism. Reading Marx from this contemporary perspective will allow us to evaluate what parts of Marx's views, if any, still possess relevance for contemporary social thought. Prerequisite: One previous philosophy course or permission from instructor.

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PHIL B346 Ethics Without the Individual

Spring 2025

We typically take the world to be filled with many discrete individuals. From the time I was born until this very moment, I have remained the same person, and I will continue to be that person at least until the day of my death. Moreover, the person who I am differs from the person who you are. We are each a self-contained whole, fundamentally the same as ourselves and fundamentally different from everyone else. In this course, we will discuss thinkers who challenge this common view, denying either that each individual has a persistent self, or that each individual's self is unique to her alone. Most of the thinkers we discuss will suggest that the typical picture of the discrete individual is not only false, but ethically disastrous: believing that we possess a unique and persistent self stands in the way of true happiness, genuine moral action, or both. Readings will mainly draw on early Hindu, Buddhist, and Daoist thought, however, we will also consider more recent work by figures such as Hume, Schopenhauer, and Russell. Prerequisites: One previous Philosophy course or permission of instructor.

Course does not meet an Approach

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PHIL B398 Senior Seminar

Senior majors are required to write an undergraduate thesis on an approved topic. The senior seminar is a two-semester course in which research and writing are directed. Seniors will meet collectively and individually with the supervising instructor.

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PHIL B399 Senior Seminar

The senior seminar is a required course for majors in Philosophy. It is the course in which the research and writing of an undergraduate thesis is directed both in and outside of the class time. Students will meet sometimes with the class as a whole and sometimes with the professor separately to present and discuss drafts of their theses.

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PHIL B403 Supervised Work

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PHIL B425 Praxis III: Independent Study

Praxis III courses are Independent Study courses and are developed by individual students, in collaboration with faculty and field supervisors. A Praxis courses is distinguished by genuine collaboration with fieldsite organizations and by a dynamic process of reflection that incorporates lessons learned in the field into the classroom setting and applies theoretical understanding gained through classroom study to work done in the broader community. Note: Students are eligible to take up to two Praxis Fieldwork Seminars or Praxis Independent Studies during their time at Bryn Mawr.

Counts Toward: Praxis Program.

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CMSC B325 Computational Linguistics

Fall 2024

Introduction to computational models of understanding and processing human languages. How elements of linguistics, computer science, and artificial intelligence can be combined to help computers process human language and to help linguists understand language through computer models. Topics covered: syntax, semantics, pragmatics, generation and knowledge representation techniques. Prerequisite: CMSC B151 , or CMSC H106 or CMSC H107, and CMSC B231 or CMSC H231 or MATH B231 or MATH H231, or permission of instructor.

Counts Toward: Computational Methods; Linguistics; Neuroscience; Philosophy.

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CMSC B373 Artificial Intelligence

Not offered 2024-25

Survey of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the study of how to program computers to behave in ways normally attributed to "intelligence" when observed in humans. Topics include heuristic versus algorithmic programming; cognitive simulation versus machine intelligence; problem-solving; inference; natural language understanding; scene analysis; learning; decision-making. Topics are illustrated by programs from literature, programming projects in appropriate languages and building small robots. Prerequisites: CMSC B151 or CMSC H106 or CMSC H107, and CMSC B231, or CMSC H231 or MATH B231 or MATH H231.

Counts Toward: Neuroscience; Philosophy.

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FREN B213 Theory in Practice:Critical Discourses in the Humanities

Fall 2024

By bringing together the study of major theoretical currents of the 20th century and the practice of analyzing literary works in the light of theory, this course aims at providing students with skills to use literary theory in their own scholarship. The selection of theoretical readings reflects the history of theory (psychoanalysis, structuralism, narratology), as well as the currents most relevant to the contemporary academic field: Post-structuralism, Post-colonialism, Gender Studies, and Ecocriticism. They are paired with a diverse range of short stories (Poe, Kafka, Camus, Borges, Calvino, Morrison, Djebar, Ngozi Adichie) that we discuss along with our study of theoretical texts. The class will be conducted in English with an additional hour in French for students wishing to take it for French credit.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Comparative Literature; English; German and German Studies; History of Art; Italian and Italian Studies; Philosophy; Russian.

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FREN B333 Nature and Freedom

Not offered 2024-25

When referring to Rousseau's political theory, the conjectural state of nature first described in his Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1755) has frequently been identified with native societies as observed in America since 1492. Many scholars have been opposing this primitivist interpretation of his second discourse and showed that Rousseau might instead be considered the father of all 'social construct' theories. But in spite of this scholarly consensus, Graeber and Wengrow still tend to assume Rousseau's state of nature is mostly inspired by the encounter of Europeans with native people. Why is this confusion still informing the way we read Rousseau? How did considerations on the so-called 'noble savage' taint his political theory? How can we assess the role an 'indigenous critique' played in defining Rousseau's state of nature? And incidentally: how 'indigenous' is this 'indigenous critique'? Answering to Graeber and Wengrow's (mis)reading of Rousseau will allow us to cast a new light not only on Rousseau's 'unnatural' anthropology, but also on Graeber & Wengrow's broader claims on human nature and political freedom. Our end goal is not to offer a scholarly take on either Rousseau's discourse of Graeber and Wengrow's book, but to answer this pressing question: should/could we discard the very notion of nature to regain political agency here and now? Authors include: Léry, Montaigne, Hobbes, Rousseau, Lévi-Strauss, Serres, Graeber and Wengrow.

Counts Toward: Philosophy; Political Science.

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ITAL B213 Theory in Practice: Critical Discourses in the Humanities

Not offered 2024-25

What is a postcolonial subject, a queer gaze, a feminist manifesto? And how can we use (as readers of texts, art, and films) contemporary studies on animals and cyborgs, object oriented ontology, zombies, storyworlds, neuroaesthetics? In this course we will read some pivotal theoretical texts from different fields, with a focus on race&ethnicity and gender&sexuality. Each theory will be paired with a masterpiece from Italian culture (from Renaissance treatises and paintings to stories written under fascism and postwar movies). We will discuss how to apply theory to the practice of interpretation and of academic writing, and how theoretical ideas shaped what we are reading. Class conducted in English, with an additional hour in Italian for students seeking Italian credit.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Africana Studies; Comparative Literature; English; French and Francophone Studies; Gender Sexuality Studies; German and German Studies; History of Art; Philosophy; Russian.

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ITAL B221 What is Aesthetics? Theories on Art, Imagination, and Poetry

Fall 2024

This course investigates how global thinkers, poets, and artists reflected in their works on the roles and powers of art, poetry, and human creativity. The course approaches this theme through a cross-cultural and trans-historical approach, which encompasses the Italian Humanism, which argued for the first time for the importance of aesthetic knowledge, as well as the Age of Enlightenment, which founded 'aesthetics' as a specific scientific discipline. Readings from these writers will show how artistic products, human imagination, and poetry are not just light-hearted activities but powerful cognitive tools which can reveal aspects of human history. If the human being is deemed to be a combination of reason and feeling - soul and body - art and poetry, which border both the rational and irrational realms, appear the most appropriate scientific tool to reveal the human essence and its destiny. The discussion will focus on pivotal global writers and philosophers such as Giambattista Vico and Giacomo Leopardi, who pioneered aesthetic, historical, literary, and anthropological ideas which are still crucial in the current theoretical debate on arts and poetry. All readings and class discussion will be in English. Students will have an additional hour of class for Italian credit.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Inquiry into the Past (IP)

Counts Toward: German and German Studies; History; History of Art; M Eastern/C Asian/N African St; Middel Eastern Central Asian; Philosophy.

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ITAL B326 Love, Magic, and Medicine: Poetical-Philosophical Bonds

Spring 2025

The course investigates how the concepts of love, magic, and medicine emerged and developed throughout early modernity and beyond. In exploring the fields of Philosophy, Medicine, and Magic, global thinkers, poets, and artists drew not only from classical sources, but were also deeply influenced by a wide range of models, such as fictional ancient sources, Islamic philosophy, and the Jewish Kabbalah. In this interesting syncretism, love was considered as an inspiration experienced by the entire universe, and magical practice was understood as a philosophy in action, which had the power to establish a bond of a loving nature between the different realms of reality. Magicians were therefore conceived as wise philosophers capable of joining this network of correspondences and controlling them (art)ificially. As a result, the figures of poets and artists interestingly merged into those of magicians of physicians, and poetry was conceived both as a magic able to arouse mental images stronger than real visions, and as a medicine able to exert a mental and physiological agency on the body. The course will approach these themes through a multi-disciplinary and trans-historical approach, which will include in the discussion a wide variety of figures, such as global early modern and modern philosophers, physicians, poets, artists, and composers.All readings and class discussion will be in English. Students will have an additional hour of class for Italian credit.

Course does not meet an Approach

Counts Toward: Classical Culture and Society; Classical Languages; Classical Studies; History; History of Art; M Eastern/C Asian/N African St; Middel Eastern Central Asian; Philosophy.

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POLS B228 Introduction to Political Philosophy: Ancient and Early Modern

Spring 2025

An introduction to the fundamental problems of political philosophy, especially the relationship between political life and the human good or goods.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Classical Studies; International Studies; Philosophy.

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POLS B231 Introduction to Political Philosophy: Modern

Not offered 2024-25

A continuation of POLS 228, although 228 is not a prerequisite. Particular attention is given to the various ways in which the concept of freedom is used in explaining political life. Readings from Locke, J.S. Mill, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche and others.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Philosophy.

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POLS B245 Philosophy of Law

Fall 2024

Introduces students to a variety of questions in the philosophy of law. Readings will be concerned with the nature of law, the character of law as a system, the ethical character of law, and the relationship of law to politics, power, authority, and society. Readings will include philosophical arguments about law, as well as judicial cases through which we examine these ideas within specific contexts, especially tort and contracts. Most or all of the specific issues discussed will be taken from Anglo-American law, although the general issues considered are not limited to those legal systems. Recommended Prerequisite: sophomore standing, freshman only with professor's consent.

Critical Interpretation (CI)

Counts Toward: Philosophy.

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POLS B272 The Power of the People: Democratic Revolutions

Not offered 2024-25

We often invoke "democracy" as the very ground of political legitimacy, but there is very little agreement on what democracy means, why we might desire it, or how state institutions, law, and political culture might embody it. In this seminar we will grapple with some recent and influential accounts of democratic governance and democratic movements today. Our objective will be to develop a critical vocabulary for understanding what democracy might mean, what conditions it requires, and what "best practices" citizens committed to democracy might enlist to confront political challenges such as the structural divisions that persist among class, gender, and race; persistent inequality and influence of money and corporations; and the potential for democratic, grass-roots power as a vital ingredient to democratic flourishing. Writing Intensive.

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POLS B358 Freedom in the 21st Century

Not offered 2024-25

This course investigates what freedom means, how political communities organize themselves around freedom, and how contestation about freedom is essential in twenty-first century political life. We will take orientation from the argument developed by David Graeber and David Wengrow in The Dawn of Everything, which suggests that freedom and not equality is the site of political struggle today. We'll give some time to contextualizing Graber and Wengrow's historical inquiry as a political project in response to interrelated crises of ecology and democracy of the present moment. Expanding from this point of origin (which will be linked to the other courses in the 360), we'll then consider how theorists and practitioners around the world have considered freedom's perils and possibilities: abolitionist organizing in the work of Mariame Kaba; democratic socialism in the theory of Axel Honneth; freedom as a mask for state-sactioned violence in the critical queer work of Chanan Reddy; escape and flight from such states realized through "freedom as marronage"; and freedom as an Indigenous political project in the the work of Taiaiake Alfred, Glen Coulthard, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. Each approach will offer an opportunity to think through the meaning and politics of freedom as well as to develop frameworks of political analysis that can illustrate how struggles for freedom shape and structure politics today. Prerequisite: One course in Political Theory or Philosophy or Permission of instructor.

Counts Toward: Philosophy.

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POLS B359 Depth Psychology, Politics, and the Social Order

Not offered 2024-25

In this course, we examine a variety of political and social issues (among them racism, the economic organization of society, and demagoguery) from the perspective of "depth psychology." By "depth psychology" we refer to the study of human activity in terms of individual and collective, conscious and unconscious psychic dynamics. Modern depth psychology grew up in the late 19th century; its two greatest theorists were Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud, the latter of whom founded what is now the broad and diverse field of psychoanalysis. We will draw on works by Nietzsche, by Freud, by later psychoanalysts, and by writers were deeply influenced by these, such as Richard Wright, Franz Fanon, and Herbert Marcuse. We will also draw on the insights of depth psychology to try to help understand the use and organization of hate within contemporary politics. Prerequisite: One course in theory OR consent of instructor.

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POLS B361 On The Human Condition: The Political Thinking of Hannah Are

Not offered 2024-25

Pursuing a close study of Hannah Arendt's The Human Condition, one of the most influential works of political theory written in the twentieth century, this course will investigate Arendt's magnum opus in its contexts: situated in the history of political thought, in the political debates of the 1950s, and as political thinking of urgent relevance today. While we study Arendt's texts, focusing specifically on The Human Condition, we will also seek to understand and practice her unique form of political thinking by not only reading her texts in their historical contexts but also considering our own contexts as readers of Arendt in the twenty-first century. Our approach to Arendt will thus seek to develop her idea of "political thinking" while also creating our own exercises in political thinking over the course of the semester, drawing together issues in politics today, the concepts and arguments Arendt proposes, and the history of political thought her work engages.

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POLS B371 Topics in Political Philosophy

Section 001 (Fall 2024): Governing the Self and Others

Fall 2024

An advanced seminar on a topic in political or legal philosophy/theory. Topics vary by year. Prerequisite: At least one course in political theory or philosophy or consent of instructor.

Current topic description: What does it mean to call Bryn Mawr and Haverford self-governing institutions? Or to believe that we - citizens of various communities, nations, or states - govern ourselves? Higher education institutions are not alone in invoking self-governance as both ethical and educational; this seminar seeks to reflect deeply about the meanings of self-governance, why we might desire it, and how political institutions, laws, and culture might embody it. We will grapple with some recent and influential accounts of governance and politics from communitarian, queer-anarchistic, Afro-Pessimist, Indigenous, and democratic perspectives. Our objective will be to develop and implement critical vocabulary for understanding and implementing what self-governance might mean, what conditions it requires, and what "best practices" community members and citizens committed to it might enlist to realize its potential for self-development and collective flourishing.

Counts Toward: Philosophy.

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POLS B381 Nietzsche

Fall 2024

This course examines Nietzsche's thought, with particular focus on such questions as the nature of the self, truth , irony, aggression, play, joy, love, and morality. The texts for the course are drawn mostly from Nietzsche's own writing, but these are complemented by some contemporary work in moral philosophy and philosophy of mind that has a Nietzschean influence.

Counts Toward: Comparative Literature; German and German Studies; Philosophy.

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