Our goal is to explore the complex relationships between political nationalism and culture in Ireland from the 1880s. Our focus will be on the Celtic Revival and Irish Literary Renaissance. We will...
This class will take up three of Dickens’ most popular novels, beginning with his classic account of the French revolution, and following up with his portrayal of the phenonemon of street urchins in...
Anton Chekhov's short stories, widely recognized as among the best ever written, are filled with his unique blend of understated humor, pathos, and humanity. In this course, we will work our way...
In this course we’ll discuss a collection of classic, article-length works in the philosophy of mind published in English during the second half of the 20th century. Topics will include the nature of...
We are frequently told that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” One problem with this formulation is that it raises the question, “Are there any criteria—universal or particular—for value...
Here is the quiet but arresting story of Father Jean Marie Latour, who in 1851 travels with his childhood friend and fellow priest Joseph Vaillant to take possession of the newly-created diocese of...
In this course, we read Dickens' great novels of social consciousness, David Copperfield and Great Expectations.
Dickens, David Copperfield, Penguin Classics; Revised ed. edition...
Don Quixote is the first modern novel and many consider it the greatest. We will investigate what all the fuss is about, through close reading and discussion of big, important questions.
Course...
In The Idiot, Dostoevsky takes up the question of how a "Christ-like" man would survive (or not) in this world. Demons is a 3-part novel inspired by the true story of a political murder, a masterpiece...
The 17th and 18th centuries in Europe mark a period of philosophical revolution, where the debates focused largely on the nature and limits of human knowledge. We shall be reading representative...