20th century American Critical Theory 3301-LA2235-2ST
This course delves into the development and transformation of critical theory throughout the 20th century, with a focus on American contributions and their interactions with global theoretical movements. From the structuralist and poststructuralist debates to the ethical, political, and posthumanist expansions, students will engage with major thinkers and their foundational works. The course will address the evolution of theory in relation to literature, politics, and interdisciplinary frameworks, promoting an understanding of how these discussions shape modern humanities.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will:
1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of major theoretical movements of the 20th century.
2. Critically engage with complex theoretical texts and debates.
3. Understand the connections between theory and cultural/political contexts.
4. Apply interdisciplinary perspectives in analyzing theoretical arguments.
5. Enhance their ability to articulate informed perspectives in both written and oral discussions.
Assessment criteria
Participation 40 %
final test - 60 %
Practical placement
-
Bibliography
Why theory?
Murray Krieger “Institution of Theory”
Terry Eagleton “The Rise of English”
The (post)structuralist turn – Structuralist Controversy Conference:
Claude Levi-Strauss, “A Writing Lesson”
Jacques Derrida, “Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences”
the follow-up conference discussion transcript
Additional material: Derrida, The Movie
Paul de Man, “The Rhetoric of Temporality”
Additional material: Charles Baudelaire, “The Painter of Modern Life”
The political turn:
Michel Foucault, “Truth and Power”
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak “Can the Subaltern Speak?”
Frederic Jameson “The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act” (Norton)
Stephen Knapp and Walter Benn Michaels “Against Theory”
The minority turn:
Even Kosofsky-Sedgwick, from Epistemology of the Closet
Lennard J.Davis, “Enforcing Normalcy, Disability, Deafness, and the Body”
The interdisciplinary turn:
Jacques Ranciere, “Distribution of the Sensible”
Lauren Berlant, “Poor Eliza”
The ethical turn:
Giorgio Agamben, Homo Sacer
Judith Butler, from Precarious Life
The posthumanist turn:
Bernard Stiegler from Technics and Time
Catherine Malabou “The King’s Two Biopolitical Bodies”
Jane Bennet, from Vibrant Matter
The self-defensive turn
Sidonie Smith, “Manifesto for the Humanities”
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: