How do philosophers read and make sense of literary texts, movies, works of art and other philosophers? This course elucidates key conceptual and hermeneutic articulations under girding a philosophical signature and delineate the status of aesthetic objects in theory. It explores Roland Barthes' thought through 4 of his key theoretical moves: death of the author, reality effect, punctum, the neutre and the ground upon which he deployed them: the realist novel, techniques of cinema & photography, political antagonism, queer subjectivity. Texts to be read in English translation; students encouraged to consult the French originals.
Art, Art History & Visual Studies