Tales of Hope or States of Delusion? Utopias, Past and Present
CLST 324
Fall 2021
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01
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Utopias are imaginary places that promise freedom, happiness, and justice. In this course, we will look at different visions of utopian living: What kinds of longing and impulses do different utopias fulfill? What kind of social critique do they imply? How can they offer freedom and happiness, while built on strict programs of biological, psychological, and social engineering? What makes for the distinction between utopia and dystopia?
We will start with ancient Greek poetry, drama, and philosophy--Homer, tragedy, Aristophanic comedy, and Plato--to trace the beginnings of utopian thinking, its promises and failures. In the last part of the semester, we will look at how these early seeds of utopia are recast and developed in later and contemporary literature, theory, and shows, including Thomas More's "Utopia," and Emily St. John Mandel "Station Eleven"; selections from T. Adorno, E. Bloch, J. Rawls, R. Nozick, and F. Jameson; and episodes from Black Mirror. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA CLAS |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (CLST-History, P) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Homer, ODYSSEY (selections)
Aeschylus, ORESTEIA
Aristophanes, ASSEMBLY WOMEN
Plato, REPUBLIC
Thomas More, UTOPIA
Emily St. John Mandel, STATION ELEVEN
Selections from T. Adorno, E. Bloch, J. Rawls, R. Nozick, and F. Jameson
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Examinations and Assignments:
Weekly brief responses to the readings; 1 presentation; 3 papers. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Regular attendance and active participation. |
| Instructor(s): Visvardi,Eirene Times: ...W... 07:10PM-10:00PM; Location: DWNY200; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 17 | | SR major: 5 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 3 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 4 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 1 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 3 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 3 |
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