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| Semester | fall semester 2014 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Ridvan Askin (ridvan.askin@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The major philosophical and literary movement in antebellum America, transcendentalism has generated significant contributions to such diverse fields as politics, economics, education and pedagogy, and religious thought. In addition, it is generally credited with having sparked what is today known as environmentalism. In pursuing these wide-ranging interests, transcendentalists have contributed to and developed a plethora of genres, from the essay to poetry, from the lecture to travel writing, from the sermon to literary criticism. Focusing on its most significant figures - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller - this course will be particularly devoted to transcendentalist nature writing, arguably the most important transcendentalist field of inquiry, and scrutinize transcendentalism's philosophical commitments and presuppositions (Kant; German Idealism in general) invariably caught up with its interest in nature. In this vein, the course will inquire how transcendentalists conceived of the relation between nature and metaphysics, that is, matter and spirit. |
| Learning objectives | Students taking this course will be introduced to the work of some of the most canonical American authors. In addition, they will gain basic insights into philosophical idealism. Finally, since transcendentalism amounts to the American form of romanticism, students will rehearse and expand on their knowledge of this crucial and very rich literary and philosophical period and tradition. |
| Bibliography | - Henry David Thoreau, "Walden", Yale Nota Bene (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006) - Margaret Fuller, "The Portable Margaret Fuller", ed. Mary Kelley (New York: Penguin), 1994 Additional texts will be made available on ISIS. |
| Comments | Students taking this seminar should also be interested in Prof. Schweighauser's lecture “American Literature Survey II/IV: American Renaissance to Naturalism" (course no. 27426). |
| Weblink | ISIS |
| Admission requirements | This course is open to BA students who have successfully completed the module "Refining Skills in Literature and Culture" (old BA) or "Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies" (new BA) - including the proseminar paper. |
| Course application | Please register on ISIS. Note that places are limited. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul Extending the View (Literary and Cultural Studies) (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Focusing on the Discipline (Literary and Cultural Studies) (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance and active participation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |