Selfhood and its Stories

3 credits

What is the self? How is our self related to the stories we tell about ourselves? Can one tell a true life story? Or are the stories of our lives better regarded as "fictions," spun out to the narrative imagination? Drawing on readings from psychology, literature, and philosophy as well as selected autobiographies and memoirs, this course will examine the process by which people create and tell the stories of their lives. Topics include the nature of memory, the palce of language and culture in shaping the self, the difference between life as lived and life as told, and the role of life stories in the creation of personal identity. Alongside our exploration of these topics, we will also explore, and create, our own life stories and will therefore need to ask: Who am I? How did I become who I am? How should I live my life?