The Age of Enlightenment in Europe brought about a revolutionary way of thinking by introducing a set of ideas that today we view as fundamental and universal human rights: liberty, freedom, and equality. However, since many proponents of the Enlightenment also held pronounced views on race, class, gender, and empire, the rights they espoused were for the most part only extended to certain groups. This class seeks to develop a critical approach to the philosophy of the Enlightenment by covering both sides of the issue. To this end, we will read some of the key figures of the Enlightenment while also reading about who/what their conversations excluded. Therefore, through an analysis of the ways in which the liberal philosophies of the age were used to justify various forms of subjugation, we will explore the merits, contradictions, and limitations of Enlightenment philosophy. Since the 18th century also saw the emergence of the modern novel, we will examine how novelists grappled with issues of freedom, emancipation, and liberty. Readings include Moll Flanders (1722), The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), Frankenstein (1818), and a course package of short stories, poems, and historical/ theoretical readings. Theoretical readings will include Kant, Voltaire, Newton, Rousseau, Locke, Franklin, Jefferson, and Descartes. This course requires regular attendance, a demanding reading schedule, quizzes, team presentations, active in-class participation, and participation on Go-post, short papers, a midterm and a final paper.

Required Texts:
•Daniel Defoe. Moll Flanders (1722).
•Goethe. The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774).
•Mary Shelley. Frankenstein (1818).
•A course package.