IDS 2009 - Fears and Fascinations in Nineteenth-Century Europe

Credits: 4
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” Charles Dickens’ rueful appreciation expresses the superlative contradictions and rapid societal changes in the wake of industrialization, urbanization and colonialism in 19^th century Europe. Vast accumulations of wealth, grand developments of the metropolis and the allure of exotic travel and luxury items could be found next to horrific living conditions in sooty cities filled with crime, prostitution, addiction and epidemics. How did people experience these vibrant varieties and deep discrepancies? What literary works and philosophical theories marked and expressed these experiences? How did they view and construct their own identities and that of the Other in this turbulent century?

Following these questions, this course is designed from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives and knowledge contents leading into the intellectual and artistic circles in Europe and “the Orient.” Topics discussed will include the conceptualizations of progress, Darwinism, Nihilism, Impressionism, Orientalism and their impact on identity formations. Authors studied will include Darwin, Nietzsche, Baudelaire, Zola, Marx, Dickens et. al.
McDaniel Plan: International Nonwestern, Social, Cultural, and Historical Understanding, Textual Analysis