Universität Wien
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180048 KU Cavell/Thoreau: Around Walden (2023W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work

Hinweis der SPL Philosophie:

Das Abgeben von ganz oder teilweise von einem KI-tool (z.B. ChatGPT) verfassten Texten als Leistungsnachweis (z.B. Seminararbeit) ist nur dann erlaubt, wenn dies von der Lehrveranstaltungsleitung ausdrücklich als mögliche Arbeitsweise genehmigt wurde. Auch hierbei müssen direkt oder indirekt zitierte Textstellen wie immer klar mit Quellenangabe ausgewiesen werden.

Die Lehrveranstaltungsleitung kann zur Überprüfung der Autorenschaft einer abgegebenen schriftlichen Arbeit ein notenrelevantes Gespräch (Plausibilitätsprüfung) vorsehen, das erfolgreich zu absolvieren ist.
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

ACHTUNG!! Der Termin am 11.12.2023 muss leider entfallen

  • Monday 09.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 16.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 23.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 30.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 06.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 13.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 20.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 27.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 04.12. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 08.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 15.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 22.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 29.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Based on David Henry Thoreau’s WALDEN, this KU (= course) tries to answer what Thoreau’s philosophy actually consists of. Often called an American transcendentalist, on closer reading of his texts this label turns out to be extremely problematic. Thoreau’s views are more like Spinoza’s philosophy of immanence than the Platonism of Ralph Waldo Emerson and other dualists from the group of American transcendentalists. In this course Thoreau’s text is confronted with Stanley Cavell’s book THE SENSES OF WALDEN [1972]. We will uncover Thoreau's concept of nature and his idea that only sensory beings can make sense of life. But we will also discuss what it means for philosophers to write books about books. Cavell’s circling of the main themes of Thoreau’s book will accompany this term’s discussions like a jazz-composition “round about Walden”.

Assessment and permitted materials

Your attendance is part of your final grade. You will be expected to hand in short written papers and participate in class discussions.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Erasmus students beware: This course is taught in German! You may write your assignments in English or French, but must be prepared to discuss matters in German, since most of your colleagues in the group will be German speakers.

The minimal requirement for completing this course is that you hand in seven assignments which are titled AUFGABE (= task) in Moodle. You will then be graded based on your submissions and your participation in our weekly class discussions. If you decide to write a BA paper in this course, the AUFGABEN-assignments will be reduced to four. You will, however, have to hand in a short exposé and a preliminary structure of your BA thesis during term instead.

By registering for this course, you tacitly agree to having all your electronic submissions checked by Turnitin.

You may miss two course units without consequence.

Your final grade will consist of the points you acquired in all written assignments (70 %) and your active participation (30 %). Thus you can earn a maximum of 50 credit points a term. Should your achievement be below or equal to 20 points or if you did not fulfill the minimal requirements, you will fail this course.

Examination topics

This is a course (= KUrs), thus no final exam.

Reading list

Cavell, Stanley (1992): The Senses of Walden. An Expanded Edition. Chicago u. London: University of Chicago Press.
Furtak, Rick Anthony; Ellsworth, Jonathan; u. Reid, James D. (eds.) (2012) Thoreau’s Importance for Philosophy. New York: Fordham Univ. Press.
Kucklick, Bruce (2001): A History of Philosophy in America: 1720–2000. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Thoreau, Henry D. (2007): I to Myself. An annotated selection from the Journal of Henry D. Thoreau. Edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer. New Haven u. London: Yale University Press.
Thoreau, Henry D. (1992): Walden and other Writings. Edited by Brooks Atkinson. New York: Modern Library.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 11.12.2023 09:46