Philosophy in the first person

DESCRIPTION

Philosophical writing is often thought to be impersonal and abstract, focused on rigorous argument and high theory to the exclusion of personal narrative, voice, humor, and literary style. But not all philosophy takes that form. This seminar explores the alternative mode of more personal philosophical writing, as it appears in contemporary personal essays on philosophical themes and pieces of public philosophy with a personal slant (in e.g., The New York Times, The Point, Aeon, and The New Yorker.) The course is structured as a writing workshop, and centrally aims to develop students’ confidence and skill in writing their own pieces of autobiographical philosophy. Students will create a portfolio of writing and workshop it closely with their peers and professor throughout the semester.

Prerequisite

• Permission of instructor required.

• Intended for philosophy majors and minors, but students with at least two courses in philosophy will be considered.

Distributions

• College: Religion, Ethics and Moral Philosophy; Language and Literature

• Philosophy department: Value Theory; Metaphysics and Theory of Knowledge

GOALS

By the end of this course you will have:

• Gained a broader perspective on the nature of philosophy as an activity and academic discipline.

• Come to better understand your own experiences and values, and their intersection with philosophical questions.

• Honed your capacity to write clearly, cogently and compellingly on philosophical subjects.

• Developed your ability to work together with others, to respond positively to feedback, and to provide constructive advice to your peers.

• Written a portfolio of pieces of personal philosophical writing that you are proud of.

LOGISTICS

Professor: Helena de Bres

• Contact: hdebres@wellesley.edu

• Website: https://sites.google.com/wellesley.edu/helenadebres/home

• Office: Founders Hall 320

Class time:  Tuesdays, 12:45-3:25, Spring 2024

Venue: Pendleton East 351

Office hours: Tuesdays 3:45-4:45; Fridays 11:20-12:20

• You're welcome to drop by during office hours whenever you want, but if you want to be sure to get a spot, it’s best to email me in advance to say you’re planning on coming. If a lot of other students have beaten you to it, we can find another time.

• Similarly, if these regular times don't work for you for some reason, email me and we can try to arrange an appointment at a different hour. When doing this, please specify a set of times you're available, so I don't have to write back to you straight away to ask you for that.

• No need to have a specific question--we can chat about writing, philosophy, or whatever else is on your mind.

• Occasionally we may need to meet over Zoom (at this link),: if so, I'll let you know.

Communication:

• Outside of class, we'll be communicating via our Google Group, which has this email address: phil-331-01-sp24@wellesley.edu 

• I'll make all announcements via the Group, and you can also use it to send messages to the class as a whole.

• I will try to respond to any email you send me within 48 hours. After that, feel free to send me a gentle reminder.

• BUT I try not to reply to emails on weekends, so, if you want a prompt reply, it’s best not to send me an email past 4 p.m. on a Friday.

Readings:

• Two books are required for the course: Chloe Cooper-Jones, Easy Beauty (Simon and Schuster, 2021) and Regan Penaluna, How To Think Like A Woman (Grove Atlantic, 2023)

• Other readings (mainly optional) will be articles, available on the course website or the course’s Google Drive.

Site:

• See the links at the top right for the format of the course, the assignments, the schedule for the semester, some course policies and some additional resources related to personal philosophical writing.

• Illustrations are pictures I've stolen of philosophers who write autobiographically or essayists who write philosophically. Smoking looks hot but is bad for your lungs!