Philosophy and Religious Studies

FS Philosophy 201:
Rethinking Prisons
Professor Natalie Cisneros
Monday and Wednesday 3:30 – 4:45

A philosophical consideration of the social, political, economic and legal reasons for mass incarceration in the US. The United States has both the largest number of prisoners, and the highest rate of incarceration, of any country in the world. Through critical philosophical engagement with issues of prisons and imprisonment, students develop skills of writing and speaking in the discipline of philosophy. Readings may include work by Michel Foucault, Angela Davis, Joy James and Dylan Rodriguez. This course counts toward regular credit for a major or minor in philosophy, and may be taken by anyone who has or has not already taken an FS201 course in any department.

Phil 191:
Philosophy, Identity and Colonialism in Latin America
Professor Natalie Cisneros
Tuesday and Thursday 9:30 – 10:45

As an introductory survey of Latin American philosophy, this course will explore the intellectual contributions of Latin American thinkers and the philosophical debates that have shaped Latin American thought. We will examine Latin American philosophy from colonization through the present, paying particular attention to philosophical questions about coloniality and decoloniality; identity, gender, race and ethnicity; social justice and politics; history, time and memory; exile and border culture. We also discuss the relationship between literature and philosophy and the configuration of Latin American, Hispano American, and Afro Hispanic identities. Finally, towards the end of our semester-long investigation, we will (re)consider the identity, value and future of Latin American Philosophy.

Phil/English 190
Film and Philosophy
Professors Eric Boynton & Lloyd Michaels
Tuesday and Thursday 3:00 – 4:15

A team-taught, interdisciplinary exploration of how “films think”—how narrative films embody complex ideas, how concrete images can expose existential and ethical questions, and how certain movies can attain the status of art. Students examine connections between Plato’s description of the philosopher’s task and the filmmaker’s re-creation of the world in the movie theater.  Major texts studied include Plato’s Republic, Nietzsche’s Twilight of the Idols, Levinas’ Totality and Infinity, Weir’s Truman Show, Kieslowski’s A Short Film About Love, and Allen’s Crimes & Misdemeanors.