CLAS 1708 Memory, Disruption, Hope: Literary Perspectives

This is an ENDURING QUESTION course and is open to FRESHMEN only. You must enroll in both CLAS1708 and PHIL1730. Is memory merely a storehouse for empirical experience or something more, something different, perhaps a key to the very possibility of meaningful experience? These paired courses explore memory as a personal, social, and intellectual-spiritual life force. While it can be argued that memory is at the root of both literature and philosophy, memory as an object of literary expression and philosophical reflection gained particular momentum from the 19th century forward. We will explore some of the history and sources of this newfound focus on memory and apply our insights to both personal and collective experience. We will look at the crucial role played by the past in the very possibility of framing a future and observe how literature and philosophy approach the phenomenon of memory differently. Activities will include visits to museums and historical sites.