Thinking By Analogy: The Philosophical Use of a Literary Form
PHIL 250
Fall 2024
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
COL 249 |
| Course Cluster and Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Certificate |
"Juliet is the sun!" So says Romeo, but what does it mean to say someone is the sun? Presumably, Juliet is the sun in being the source of warmth, life, and light in Romeo's world. Yet Juliet is of course not the sun in being an object of astrophysical study, or a giant ball of burning gas. Romeo's claim works, it seems, through a curious interweaving of being and not-being; of sameness and difference.
Analogical thinking serves as a source of illumination in all human cultures, and is a pivotal method of comparative and critical inquiry across a range of diverse fields. It facilitates the exploration of abstract themes in literature, aids in drawing insightful inferences in scientific discovery, navigates the complexities of case precedents in legal reasoning, and supports the crafting of compelling ethical arguments. This course will examine the art of analogy as a tool for philosophical understanding and creative thought, tracing its development in the history of philosophy through to its contemporary applications. Roughly half of the semester will focus on premodern perspectives on analogical thinking and verbal image-making, with an emphasis on the contributions of Plato and Aristotle. The remaining half will focus on later works of philosophy and literature that theorize about or employ analogical methods. Our interest throughout will be in how such thinking helps address issues surrounding the nature of reality, representation, and interpretation. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA PHIL |
| Course Format: Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (PHIL)(PHIL-Philosophy)(PHIL-Social Jus) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
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Examinations and Assignments:
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Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Through a combination of close reading, discussion, and analytical writing assignments, students will consider the use of analogy in understanding and shaping the world. This course aims not only to examine historical views on analogical thinking but also to encourage students to apply these insights to diverse texts and contexts, fostering a deeper appreciation for the power of analogy to traverse relations of sameness and difference, and to bridge the gap between the abstract and the concrete. |
| Instructor(s): Irani,Tushar Times: ..T.R.. 08:50AM-10:10AM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 2 | JR major: 3 | | |
| Seats Available: 2 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 1 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 5 | FR: 2 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 8 | 1st Ranked: 3 | 2nd Ranked: 3 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 2 | Unranked: 0 |
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