This course examines how the idea of "the modern" develops at the end of the 18th century in European philosophy and literature, and how being modern (or progressive, or hip) became one of the crucial criteria for understanding and evaluating cultural change. Are we still in modernity, or have we moved beyond the modern to the postmodern?
Offered By
The Modern and the Postmodern (Part 1)
Wesleyan UniversityAbout this Course
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Approx. 12 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Approx. 12 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Offered by
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a diverse, energetic liberal arts community where critical thinking and practical idealism go hand in hand. With our distinctive scholar-teacher culture, creative programming, and commitment to interdisciplinary learning, Wesleyan challenges students to explore new ideas and change the world. Our graduates go on to lead and innovate in a wide variety of industries, including government, business, entertainment, and science.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
20 minutes to complete
Course Pages
“The Modern and the Postmodern Part I” covers the first half of a full semester course on European history, literature and philosophy. We begin with Immanuel Kant and Jean Jacques Rousseau and conclude with Friedrich Nietzsche and Charles Baudelaire and a very quick look at painting at the time they wrote. Although in the final week themes of postmodernism begin to emerge, a discussion of how modernism becomes postmodernism is at the heart of Part II of this course.
20 minutes to complete
2 readings
1 hour to complete
Philosophy, Modernity, and Intellectual History
Why is philosophy relevant to modernity?
1 hour to complete
2 videos (Total 24 min), 1 reading
1 hour to complete
What is Enlightenment?
Using Rousseau’s Discourse on the Origins of Inequality, we study how the pursuit of knowledge is related to the politics of inequality.
1 hour to complete
4 videos (Total 61 min), 1 reading
3 hours to complete
From Enlightenment to Revolution
Karl Marx is our focus here as we move from a consideration of ideas to a confrontation with alienation, class struggle and revolution.
3 hours to complete
5 videos (Total 60 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
2 hours to complete
Modernism and Art for Art's Sake
We read Flaubert’s Madame Bovary as a reflection on convention, stupidity and art in the wake of the failures of mid-19th century revolution.
2 hours to complete
4 videos (Total 59 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
Reviews
- 5 stars84.18%
- 4 stars12.38%
- 3 stars2.10%
- 2 stars0.33%
- 1 star0.99%
TOP REVIEWS FROM THE MODERN AND THE POSTMODERN (PART 1)
by JRAug 1, 2019
It was a fabulous journey, and brought me so much nearer to the great minds of the 18th and especially the 19th century, reading original texts, and listening to Prof Roth's wonderful interpretations.
by CEMar 19, 2018
Very interesting subject matter, and the course was well organized and accessible. Would recommend taking the course to those interested in late Western philosophy.
by NMJan 7, 2016
One of the best professors i've ever come across! If the teacher is so passionate about the subject material as well as conveying the ideas, the course will be excellent. This is one of those courses.
by MCDec 8, 2020
Studying these subjects independently is exactly what I was looking for, although I expected more focus on Postmodernism authors such as Baudrillard, Foucault, Giles Deleuze, etc.
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