This course will focus on the intersection of fiction and philosophy in a series of texts written during the European Enlightenment. We will examine both the philosophical uses of fiction and the fictional uses of philosophy to address why and how a selection of 18th-century authors chose to invent rather eccentric stories in order to convey important critiques of their contemporary society. Many of the fictions we will read rely on the idea of an “innocent gaze,” often connected with a figure of alterity (such as a foreigner, a social outcast, or a woman), which enables a character to provide a fresh perspective on their surrounding world. But what does it mean for a philosopher to speak through the voice of such fictional beings, and why is this such an important feature of Enlightenment literature?

We will read and analyze a selection of texts from the French and British traditions that explore the following themes and questions: what role do literature and fiction play in the development of a philosophical reflection on the world? What is the relationship between philosophy, fiction, and “truth”? How does the intersection of fiction and philosophy alter our conception of literary genres? Does it matter whether philosophical fictions are believable or not? And how do considerations of cultural difference, sexuality, and gender (whether that of the author or of a story’s protagonist) impact the philosophical merit of a work? 

This course is also designed to fulfill the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement. The primary goal therefore will be to develop students' reading and writing skills through a series of assignments that will provide them with the opportunity to formulate observations made in class discussions into coherent argumentative essays. Emphasis will be placed on the refinement of effective sentence, paragraph, and thesis formation, keeping in mind the notion of writing as a process. In addition, students will be introduced to different methods of literary and linguistic analysis in their nonliterary readings.

Texts (to be read in English translation) will include: Voltaire, Micromégas (1752) and Candide (1759); Montesquieu, Persian Letters (1721); Graffigny, Letters from a Peruvian Woman (1747); Diderot, The Nun (1796) and Rameau’s Nephew (1805); Sterne, A Sentimental Journey (1768); additional short readings available on bCourses.

This course is designed to fulfill the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement. The primary goal of this course is to develop students' reading and writing skills through a series of assignments that will provide them with the opportunity to formulate observations made in class discussions into coherent argumentative essays. Emphasis will be placed on the refinement of effective sentence, paragraph, and thesis formation, keeping in mind the notion of writing as a process. Other goals in this course are a familiarization with French literature and the specific questions that are relevant to this field. In addition, students will be introduced to different methods of literary and linguistic analysis in their nonliterary readings.