DHUM 27A11 - Creating a Self. Introduction to French Theory

Since the fifties and mainly during the sixties and seventies, a wave of new philosophical and political thinking emerged, producing new methods and tools to analyze the human political existence while overthrowing old orders. Most of these philosophers and thinkers came from France. French Theory is an allusive term that applies to existentialism, certain aspects of feminism, structuralism, and poststructuralism that is also known as postmodernism.

In this course, we will read principal texts of French theorists such as Sartre, Camus, Althusser, Barthes, Foucault, de Beauvoir, Irigaray, and Bourdieu. We will try to understand some keys aspects, such as power/knowledge, subjectivity, discourse, center and margins, hegemony, and interpellation.

The course will mainly discuss the subject and its formation.

The class will alternate between guided reading of selected texts, presentations by the students and a review of different philosophical terms.

Grade: 10% participation (as bonus), 15% presentation, 35% Midterm, 50% Final Paper