Sections offered FALL 2022:
#34164 |
LUKASZ SICINSKI |
M 6:30 PM–9:00 PM |
BH 138 |
CLASS NOTES: COLL (CASE) A&H Breadth of Inquiry credit; COLL (CASE) Culture Studies: Global Civ & Culture; meets with SLAV-P 365
Class meets In Person. For more information visit https://covid.iu.edu/learning-modes/index.html
People turn to fictional works for many reasons: we enjoy them because their imaginary worlds provide a temporary psychological escape from our everyday reality; we appreciate their formal qualities and aesthetic beauty; or we are simply drawn to them because of their entertainment value. But fiction can be also regarded as a way of engaging with ideas. Fictional works often raise important philosophical questions, present new perspectives and insights, and challenge the way we think about the world and ourselves. They invite, in one way or another, a genuine philosophical reflection. This course explores this cognitive potential of fiction.
In our class, we will discuss issues that are relevant to each of us: How can we be sure that what we know is true? Can we really experience anything objectively? What does it mean to be human? How do we know what is right or wrong? Rather than focusing on reading philosophy, we will explore these and other related questions through close reading and careful interpretation of fictional works. For the most part, we will analyze selected works of 20th and 21st century Polish literature and film. Focusing on their philosophical relevance, we will examine their critical significance and discuss how they contribute to our understanding of the world and our place in it.
Knowledge of Polish language and culture is not required to succeed in this course.