Judith Butler: Gender and Sexuality in Philosophy, Society, and Ethics

Undergraduate / Graduate

Judith Butler is among the most influential theorists and cultural critics of our time. Primarily recognized for their field-defining work in gender studies and queer theory, Butler's philosophy and criticism ranges widely. Beginning with their early analysis of desire and recognition in Hegel's Phenomenology, Butler's work draws widely from psychoanalysis, hermeneutics, literature, and critical theory, to illumine the gendered foundations of philosophical thought while critically assessing contemporary political, religious, and social crises. In this course, we will read three texts from Butler's corpus: Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, Frames of War: When Is Life Grievable?, and The Force of Non-Violence: An Ethico-Political Bind. We do so not merely to encounter Butler's theories of gender, sexuality, and performativity, grievability and precarity, ethics and non-violence, but to learn from Butler's philosophical method and their productive strategies for interrogating culture, politics, and the self. Our goal will be to hone each participant's critical and theoretical skills with an eye toward sharpening our social-critical and ethical capacities. The course will proceed as a seminar. No prior familiarity with Butler's work or gender and sexuality studies required.