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

How do we perceive ourselves? Are we born with an 'authentic self', or is our perception of selfhood the end product of a political discourse of power? Since the 1950s and until the 1980s, a wave of new philosophical and political thinking emerged, producing new methods and tools to analyze human political existence while overthrowing old orders. Most of these philosophers and thinkers originated from France. "French Theory" is an elusive term that encompasses existentialism, certain aspects of feminism, structuralism, and poststructuralism. In this course, we will explore principal texts by French theorists such as Sartre, Althusser, Barthes, Foucault, de Beauvoir, and Irigaray, focusing on the notion of subjectivity and the formation of the Self.

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

Grade: 30% short essay, 10% Class participation, 50% Final Paper