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The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the literary contribution to the creation of a Western, modern idea of the 'self'. By the end of the course students will: be familiar with the notion of self and subjectivity; understand the critical debates surrounding the status of self; be familiar with many of the key critics of, and theoretical approaches, to the question of subjectivity; be able to apply several of those approaches in their own written analysis.
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In recent decades, questions surrounding the concept of the “self,” whether by that name or such cognate terms as “subjectivity” or “identity,” have come to occupy a prominent place in historical scholarship, literary and gender studies, social theory and philosophy. In the context of such inquiries, this course will seek to investigate how post-Enlightenment writers in Europe have struggled to frame the subject, to envision the self. Among the questions it might examine are: what role did publication play in shaping ideas of the self? To what extent do European experiences of the self differ from each other? How do these various conceptions relate to the political, social and religious structures in which the authors featured in the course were acting? Is the self a product of Western modernity or a universal experience? Is there some kind of particularly feminine way of having a self?
Early exit option
Students who are required to return to their home university by the end of December, are allowed to choose an early exit option. Students must always make individual arrangements with the course coordinator. In general, there are two options that can be facilitated:
1. Finishing the course before Christmas break, receiving 5 ECTS for the course.
2. Completing the course by 'distance learning' (extra assignments, papers etc) in the month of January, receiving 7,5 ECTS for the course.
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