WGST 4933 - Philosophy of Eros.

Why is philosophy an erotic activity, and what are the implications of this insight? We will explore these issues, first, by reading Plato’s erotic dialogues:

Lysis, Symposium

and

Phaedrus.

Then we will focus on Freud’s influential (and controversial) appropriation of Plato’s thought in the writings that span his career, from

The Interpretation of Dreams

(1900) to

Civilization and its Discontents

(1930) and beyond. Finally, we will survey post-Freudian theories of eros, such as Michel Foucault’s

History of Sexuality,

as well as the more recent contributions of thinkers such as Jonathan Lear, Thomas Nagel, Martha Nussbaum and Slavoj Zizek.Semester Hours: 3Cross-listed with: HUM 5933, PHIL 4933, 5933, S SC 5933.
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