Near the beginning of a ten-hour long (!) address, philosopher Jacques Derrida famously described standing naked in front of his cat and suddenly feeling embarrassed. Wondering why he felt such strong emotions when faced with the gaze of his feline companion, Derrida was provoked to examine the relationship between humans and animals. This course proposes to follow his lead, engaging with works by Aristotle, Descartes, Marx, Darwin, Peter Singer, Donna Haraway, Giorgio Agamben, Claire Jean Kim, Sunaura Taylor, and others to shed light on the boundaries that separate “us” from “them,” the relationships that exceed these boundaries, and potential pathways toward multi-species justice.
Learning Outcomes:
-practice close reading of dense theoretical texts
-hone analytical writing skills
-gain practice communicating complicated theoretical concepts in an accessible language
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: Email instructor (johnhultgren@bennington.edu) a paragraph explaining why you're interested in the class and how it fits into your plan of study.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
T/F 2:10PM - 4:00PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 16
Course Frequency: One time only
Categories: 4000 , All courses , Environment , Four Credit , Fully In-Person , Politics
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