AMST 200-01, American Philosophy and Literature, Spring 2006

Abstract

The general goal of this course is to introduce you to the interdisciplinary exploration that is American Studies; this particular incarnation will focus on some of the most famous and important literature and philosophy generated by those wet behind the ears newcomers, the [North] “Americans.” A more subtle goal for you is to develop a sophisticated understanding of the nature and relations of literature and philosophy, especially as they fashion a distinctively American way of thinking and being/intellectual life. Although indebted to its European heritage, the thinkers we will study articulate voices that reflect the promise and also the contingencies of life on a new continent.