On the Soul

4.0 credits

What is or was the soul? This entity or concept is at the heart of religion, philosophy, psychology, and literary history, but has long fallen out of view in literary studies. The soul has once again assumed its traditional prominence in political and philosophical discourses and bears strongly in some of the major conversations of our time: regarding gender, race, nature, and consciousness. This course has three goals. Offers grounding in the history of one of the most important and enduring ideas ever formulated. Identifies possible avenues of research and publication. Introduces a variety of research methods, including careful interpretation of texts and the use of archives and databases.