Imagining the Other

3 credits · Undergraduate

The early modern period saw a plurality of discourses arising from diverse encounters within and without Europe: these could be between European and non- European cultures (real or imagined), as well as between human and non-human peoples in the natural world. This course examines how human beings in the early modern period imagined 'the Other', either in terms of how encountering non-European peoples reinforced hegemonic, reflective, and self-critical aspects of European culture, or how spirits and natural features (like the Wind, Ocean, and Forest) were considered non-human people and were understood to inhabit (or be synonymous with) various aspects of the natural world. The historical and cultural contexts may include East and Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America, Polynesia, and purely imaginary settings. Thus, each year, the focus of the course will vary in geographical locations and subject matter but draw out the intersections between humanity, culture, religion, and environment within and without early modern Europe. Premodern backgrounds and legacies for later modern conceptions will be considered throughout the course. FORMATS: Seminar