Back to selection
68705-01 - Seminar: The Early Modern Book of Nature (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Justin Begley (justin.begley@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | During the early modern period, God was deemed to have provided humans with two texts: the Book of Scripture (the Bible) and the Book of Nature (the natural world). This course will focus on the book of nature, and will explore how early modern writers (c.1550-1700) interpreted and represented it across forms and genres, from lyric and epic poems to plays, utopian fictions, and scientific treatises. In addition to studying the canonical output of Jonson, Donne, and Milton, the course will delve into texts by women writers such as Margaret Cavendish and Lucy Hutchinson, along with works by lesser-known figures such as Abraham Cowley and Thomas Shadwell. It will investigate how developments in religion, medicine, and literary form helped to reshape understandings of the natural world, while also considering how early modern writers contributed to the growth of animal ethics, vegetarianism, and a burgeoning ecological consciousness. |
| Learning objectives | Students will obtain a broad understanding of how the natural world was interpreted and represented in early modern literature in English, and of the cultural, social, and intellectual contexts in which such literature was produced. They will also improve their skills in reading and analysing texts written in a range of genres from the period c.1550-1700. |
| Bibliography | Ben Jonson, "The Alchemist" (Cambridge, 2016). Francis Bacon, "New Atlantis" in "Three Early Modern Utopias" (Oxford, 1999). All other primary material, including poems and selections from plays and scientific treatises, will be made available on ADAM. Optional secondary material will also be available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This seminar is for BA students on the advanced level who have completed ALL three introductory modules (including the proseminar papers). |
| Course application | Maximum of 25 students |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Friday | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 24.02.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 03.03.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Fasnachstferien |
| Friday 10.03.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 17.03.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 24.03.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 31.03.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 07.04.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Ostern |
| Friday 14.04.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 21.04.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 28.04.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 05.05.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 12.05.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 19.05.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Auffahrt |
| Friday 26.05.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Friday 02.06.2023 | 12.15-14.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Modules |
Modul: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Students will be assessed on the basis of active participation and one written assignment near the end of the term. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |