The Experience of Others in Philosophy, History and Literature

3 credits · Undergraduate

This class examines modern theories and narratives regarding the issue of alterity, the condition of being different or ‘other’. We will focus on the many political, social and ontological mechanisms (often integral to the structure of contemporary societies) which marginalize or erase the ‘other’. Equally, we will consider the perspectives of many of these ‘others’ and their overcoming of these antagonisms in pursuit of agency and dignity. The course readings include contributions from Albert Camus, Kamel Daoud, Simone de Beauvoir, Emmanuel Levinas, G.W.F. Hegel, bell hooks, J.M. Coetzee, Chinua Achebe and Mohsin Hamid. FORMATS: Seminar