PHL 1100 - Narratives of the Self

Credits: 4

This course focuses on the self through the stories that it tells about itself. What is the “self”? Should we be individualists or consider ourselves first and foremost members of communities? How is the self affected by its social surroundings and political contexts? Is there a meaning or purpose to life that is individual to each of us? Both philosophy and literature present opportunities to consider questions such as these and many others about the nature of the self and its relationship to the community around it. This course explores different ways of thinking about selfhood by comparing different philosophical conceptions of the self and analyzing how various works of literature confirm, challenge, or complicate those theories.

Fulfills: LS Core Requirement in Philosphy