English and drama

Literature and Philosophy

Module code: Q3269
Level 5
15 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Seminar, Lecture
Assessment modes: Coursework

This module looks at the relationship between literature and philosophy during the Enlightenment, a period equally marked by reason and feeling, by considering how some of the major questions that preoccupy eighteenth-century authors are philosophical questions about the mind, the body, the self, and our responsibility to others.

Literature from this period is full of scenes in which characters find themselves impersonated, or hurt others by accident, or have incomplete control of their bodies. Such scenes explore what are fundamentally philosophical questions, but they do so through fiction, in a narrative manner that is clearly distinct from philosophical argument.

You will discuss works of literature as raising philosophical issues in their own right, and you will also read them alongside short selections from contemporary philosophical writings. You will work across across disciplines, our primary focus will be on the literary works, and this module assumes no prior knowledge of philosophy.

Module learning outcomes

• Engage critically with texts on the module and place them in relation to their historical and cultural context.
• Display an understanding of some of the connections between literature and philosophy in the eighteenth century.
• Analyse texts on the module in light of different disciplines (literature, philosophy).