GERM 235 - Introduction to German Cultural Studies

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

Introduction to the methodological questions and debates in the field of German Cultural Studies. Strong emphasis on formal analysis and writing. Readings and discussions in English.

Topic for 2013/14a: Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Sigmund Freud. Marx, Nietsche, and Freud are three of the most influential thinkers of the modern era. We associate their names with different, even antagonistic agendas ranging from political systems (socialism/communism vs. elitism), entire disciplines (psychoanalysis, philosophy, economics), and even the death of God. Yet all three were pivotal in developing a “hermeneutics of suspicion,” in which “reality” turned out to be hiding darker and more powerful forces: economic motives, unconscious desires, or the will to power. This course examines their writings in the context of nineteenth-century Germany and Austria and assesses their contributions to our understanding of language, truth, and modern subjectivity. In addition to analyzing some of the important similarities and differences among their ideas, we also read works by other authors in order to trace the influences of their theory on German culture. Finally, we also investigate the ways in which twentieth-century writers and thinkers continued to develop-as well as question-their theories. Mr. Schneider.

Two 75-minute periods.

Open to all classes. German majors see GERM 239 .