21L.450
Global Environmental Literature
Introduces students to global environmental literature from the 20th and 21st centuries. Reflects on the effects of globalization and the ways in which ecological problems affect certain ethnic, national, and economic populations in radically unequal ways. Considers the nature and scope of these disparities, primarily through literature. Presents the humanities as an avenue for contemplating environmental harm. Topics vary by term but may include: climate change, toxicity, waste, environmental racism, food scarcity, migration, urban sustainability, or the petroleum economy.
Fall 2002 · Literature and Ethical Values
Topics
- Introduction. Excerpt from Genesis .
- Sophocles, Antigone . Martin Luther King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
- Plato, The Republic. Parts I and II (pp. 61-128) [327a-376c]**.
- Plato, The Republic . Part III, section 2 (pp. 166-176) [403d-412a]; Parts IV and V (pp. 177- 24) [412a-445d].
- Plato, The Republic. Part VII (pp. 260-325) [471c-521b], Part IX, section 10 (pp. 398-420) [576c-592a].
- Aristotle, excerpt from Nichomachean Ethics.
- Dante, Inferno.
- Shakespeare, Julius Caesar.
- Thomas Hobbes, excerpt from Leviathan.
- Herman Melville, Billy Budd.
- Kant: Excerpts from Metaphysics of Morals.
- J. S. Mill, excerpts from Utilitarianism.
- Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment , Part I.
- Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment , Part II, Part III, ch. 1-3.
- Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment , Part III, 4-end, Part IV, Part V.
- Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment , Part VI, Epilogue.
- Conrad, “The Secret Sharer.”
- Shaw, Major Barbara.
- Flannery O. Connor, “The Displaced Person.”
Readings
- Coursepack: containing Antigone , Gospel according to St Matthew , Shakespeare, Julius Caesar , Melville, Billy Budd , Shaw, Major Barbara , Flannery O. Connor, “The Displaced Person.”
- Plato. Republic. Translated by Desmond Lee. Penguin. Dante. Inferno. Translated by Allen Mandelbaum. Bantam. Dostoyevsky. Crime and Punishment. Translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky. Random House. Conrad. “The Secret Sharer.”
- Also, the following materials will be made available in excerpt: Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics , Machiavelli, The Prince , Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan , Kant, Metaphysics of Morals , Mill, Utilitarianism .
- Sophocles. Antigone.
- 4 · Plato. The Republic . Part III, section 2 (pp. 166-176) [403d-412a]; Parts IV and V (pp. 177-24) [412a-445d].
- 5 · Plato. The Republic. Part VII (pp. 260-325) [471c-521b], Part IX, section 10 (pp. 398-420) [576c-592a].
- 6 · Aristotle. Excerpt from Nichomachean Ethics.
- 7 · Aristotle. Excerpt from Nichomachean Ethics. (continued)
- 9 · Dante. Inferno. (continued)
- 10 · Dante. Inferno. (continued)
- Machiavelli. Excerpt from The Prince.
- 12 · Shakespeare. Julius Caesar. (continued)
- 13 · Shakespeare. Julius Caesar. (continued)
- 14 · Thomas Hobbes. Excerpt from Leviathan.
- 15 · Melville, Herman. Billy Budd.
- 16 · Melville, Herman. Billy Budd. (continued)
- 18 · Mill, J.S. Excerpts from Utilitarianism.
- 20 · Dostoyevsky. Crime and Punishment. Part II; Part III, Chap. 1-3.
- 21 · Dostoyevsky. Crime and Punishment. Part III, 4-end, Part IV, Part V.
- 22 · Dostoyevsky. Crime and Punishment. Part VI; Epilogue.
- 25 · Shaw, George Bernard. Major Barbara. (continued)
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Spring) 3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2002
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.