Topics in Literature: Humanism

The major part of this course is devoted to Renaissance humanism: an educational, historiographic, and philosophical encounter with the texts and perceived values of ancient culture, which in the cases of some humanists could include eastern as well as western texts. We will emphasize the subversive ideas of the humanists, as they revived materialist, atheistic writers such as Lucretius, sought to reconcile different religious faiths (Pico della Mirandola), promoted liberal inquiry on two sides of a question (Erasmus), considered whether the universe might be infinite (Giordano Bruno), celebrated the critical and humane power of laughter (Rabelais), and considered the body and human experience as the central philosophical index (Montaigne). As we read other well known European humanists, such as Petrarch, Ficino, Machiavelli, More, and Castiglione, we will also explore several women writers both enabled by and reacting to humanism: Gaspara Stampa, Vittoria Colonna, Louise Labé, Isabella d'Este, and more. As we explore humanism, we will compare the historical phenomenon with contemporary reactions to it, especially "post-humanism." To some extent, we will consider the recent claims of "humanism" and the "human" in political and legal arenas as well, considering such concepts as "crimes against humanity."
Course Attributes: EN H; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM

Topics in Literature: Humanism

ENGLISH LITERATURE 449A

Section 01