ENGL 355 - Fanaticism

Institution:

Williams College

Subject:

English

Description:

Eighteenth-- and nineteenth-century writers of literature and political philosophy repudiate fanaticism--over and over again. Whether as a religious, political or amorous posture, fanaticism is universally decried and never avowed. But what is fanaticism, and why should it be considered such a threat, particularly during a period that for the most part embraced an enlightened secular rationalism? In this course, we will explore these questions by considering literary texts that dramatize fanaticism in light of accounts by such philosophers and historians as Voltaire, Kant, Rousseau, Hobbes, Hume, Burke, Tocqueville, Carlyle, Mill, William James, and Adorno. Literary readings will be drawn from works by Swift, Wordsworth, Hogge, Dickens, Eliot, Hawthorne, Conrad, and Henry James. We will also look at drawings and engravings by Hogarth and Goya. While some of these works oppose fanaticism to enlightenment values, others see it as an effect of those values, which include sympathy, self?examination, and political flexibility. Since fanaticism has recently had considerable political currency, we will also consider some contemporary accounts, by Walter Laqueur and others, which reanimate the debates and concerns of the course.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

A 100-level English course, or a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement examination in English Literature or a 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Seminar

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.williams.edu

Phone Number:

(413) 597-3131

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Four-one-four plan

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