English 250

Description

This course traces the formation of a ‘critical’ mode of thought, in philosophy and beyond, through the late 18th and 19th centuries, concentrating on the major works of Immanuel Kant, G. W. F. Hegel, and Karl Marx. It seeks to discern and to specify the modes of and claims for reason and critical knowledge in the wake of early modern rationalism and enlightenment empiricism--and in response to the contradictory effects of European modernization. Throughout, we will attend to the methods that distinguish critique from other philosophical practices and enterprises.

For students enrolled in (or planning to join) the Program in Critical Theory, this course also satisfies the requirement for Critical Theory 200, the first in the sequence of courses required for the Designated Emphasis.