Course Description: PHIL 375 “Philosophy and Literature” addresses philosophical issues in works of literature or arising from theories of literary interpretation. Topics include issues relating to relativism, the nature of morality, free will, personal identity, the nature of the emotions. This course in particular will be about the question what the interpretation of texts and the methods associated with interpretation (hermeneutics) can teach us about more general philosophical questions such as metaphysics, scientific method, moral responsibility, and personal identity.
Course Format: The instructor will provide asynchronous lecture material for each reading. Students will be assessed about these materials in the assessment quizzes and on the final exam. Furthermore, twice a week there will be a synchronous tutorial session online. Attendance at the tutorial counts towards your attendance grade. The tutorials are not meant for new lecture material, but for question and answer sessions with the instructor.