Course Catalogue

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This course provides an introduction to some of the major trends in twentieth century French thought (i.e. phenomenology, existential thought, post-structuralism and deconstruction), by focusing on short, key writings by seven authors: Léon Chestov, Benjamin Fondane, Albert Camus, Michel Foucault, Maurice Blanchot, Gilles Deleuze and Jacques Derrida. The first part of the course is devoted to the notion of the absurd, in relation to myth and tragedy, and contrasts two strands of existential thought: Chestov and Fondane, on the one hand, and Camus on the other. The second half of the course will consider the evolution of the postmodern conception of the 'outside' and of 'nomad thought' in the works of Foucault, Deleuze and Derrida.

20 x 1-hour sessions over both semester as scheduled on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into one of the SMLC Honours programmes and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Book review (1000 words) - 30%

■ Essay (2000 words) - 50%

■ Presentation (10 minutes) - 20%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ Recorded presentation (video or audio) or one-to-one presentation with staff as alternative to the Presentation

■ There is no alternative to the Book Review, but extensions to the deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

■ There is no alternative to the Essay, but extensions to the deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

This course aims to:

■ introduce students to major trends in twentieth century French thought (i.e. phenomenology, existential thought, post-structuralism and deconstruction) and the evolution of philosophical responses to prevailing concerns with the meaning of life, death, the absurd, the 'outside', truth, presence, virtual reality, certainty and undecidability, spectrality;

■ develop students' understanding of interdisciplinary approaches to the material;

■ develop transferable skills through interactive teaching;

■ nurture the ability to ask independent questions and to experiment with original responses.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

■ identify and evaluate key aspects of Modern French Thought in relation to the studied texts;

■ apply an appropriate range of critical terminology and concepts with relevance and discrimination in written analyses and class discussion;

■ engage in interdisciplinary study relating to philosophy, religion, and literature as appropriate;

■ communicate effectively and apply critical and transferable skills in the close reading and presentation of the set texts.