2024 Fall
FRENCH 274 001 - SEM 001
Traditions of Critical Thought: French Theory
The Ends of Man
William Burton
Class #:31381
Units: 4
Instruction Mode:
In-Person Instruction
Offered through
French
Current Enrollment
Total Open Seats:
0
Enrolled: 12
Waitlisted: 0
Capacity: 12
Waitlist Max: 5
No Reserved Seats
Hours & Workload
3 hours of student-instructor coverage of course materials per week, and 9 hours of outside work hours per week.
Other classes by William Burton
Course Catalog Description
This course will introduce students to canonical texts and central issues in French theory and to the philosophical texts they presuppose. The goal is to give students the conceptual tools they need to read a range of theoretical texts and to contextualize major works in French theory from the 1960s and 1970s.
Class Description
This seminar will offer an historical and interdisciplinary introduction to classic works of “French theory” and “French feminism.” Readings will constellate around the notion of antihumanism or the end of the subject and will include some key concepts (antihumanism, the death of the author, différance, discourse, écriture, interpellation, intertextuality, text). We will track the notion’s migration across different disciplinary sectors (anthropology, psychoanalysis, psychiatry, philosophy, literary criticism, and literature). We will set these developments against the backdrop of the transatlantic exchange that gave rise to the corpora of “French theory” and “French feminism,” as well as critiques of their claims and validity.
Class Notes
Assignments: One in-class presentation, one midterm paper, one term paper.
Language: English or French according to student interest.
Readings:
Readings will include essays by L. Althusser, R. Barthes, S. de Beauvoir, M. Blanchot, N. Brossard, J. Butler, H. Cix.. show more
Language: English or French according to student interest.
Readings:
Readings will include essays by L. Althusser, R. Barthes, S. de Beauvoir, M. Blanchot, N. Brossard, J. Butler, H. Cix.. show more
Assignments: One in-class presentation, one midterm paper, one term paper.
Language: English or French according to student interest.
Readings:
Readings will include essays by L. Althusser, R. Barthes, S. de Beauvoir, M. Blanchot, N. Brossard, J. Butler, H. Cixous, J. Derrida, F. Fanon, M. Foucault, B. Godard, L. Irigaray, J. Kristeva, J. Lacan, C. Lévi-Strauss, P. Macherey, M. Wittig, and S. Wynter, as well as historiographic treatments of the corpus.
Students should acquire copies of the following books:
Brossard, Nicole. Le Désert mauve : roman. Hexagone, 1987.
Foucault, Michel. L’Ordre du discours : leçon inaugurale au Collège de France prononcée le 2 décembre 1970. Gallimard, 2009.
Ouologuem, Yambo. Le Devoir de violence : roman. Seuil, 1968.
Wittig, Monique. Les Guérillères. Minuit, 1969. show less
Language: English or French according to student interest.
Readings:
Readings will include essays by L. Althusser, R. Barthes, S. de Beauvoir, M. Blanchot, N. Brossard, J. Butler, H. Cixous, J. Derrida, F. Fanon, M. Foucault, B. Godard, L. Irigaray, J. Kristeva, J. Lacan, C. Lévi-Strauss, P. Macherey, M. Wittig, and S. Wynter, as well as historiographic treatments of the corpus.
Students should acquire copies of the following books:
Brossard, Nicole. Le Désert mauve : roman. Hexagone, 1987.
Foucault, Michel. L’Ordre du discours : leçon inaugurale au Collège de France prononcée le 2 décembre 1970. Gallimard, 2009.
Ouologuem, Yambo. Le Devoir de violence : roman. Seuil, 1968.
Wittig, Monique. Les Guérillères. Minuit, 1969. show less
Rules & Requirements
Repeat Rules
Course is not repeatable for credit.
Reserved Seats
Current Enrollment
No Reserved Seats
Textbooks & Materials
See class syllabus or https://calstudentstore.berkeley.edu/textbooks for the most current information.
Guide to Open, Free, & Affordable Course Materials
Associated Sections
None