This course is intended to provide students from a wide range of scholarly backgrounds with a general introduction to some of the major trends in twentieth century European intellectual history.  No prior knowledge of any of these areas is presumed.  The course begins by considering diagnosis of the ‘crisis of modernity’ in European civilisation as understood by Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche.  European thought since then is presented as a series of attempts to come to terms with this situation and to explore its implications.  The course will focus on modernism, psychoanalysis, existentialism, feminism, and postmodernism.

On completion of this course students should be able to describe the main features of some of the dominant trends in twentieth century European intellectual history, understand the basic logic of these trends, and apply them, as appropriate, to their areas of interest in European Studies.

There will be two 70-minute lectures each week (excluding a 10 min break during each lecture) supplemented by regular seminars.  The course is text-based, so emphasis will be placed on reading, analysing and assessing the arguments of these texts.

Upon completion of this module, students should be able to: (1) read and analyse key selected texts in 20^th century European intellectual history; (2) express the ideas and arguments in the texts and how they relate to each other; (3) critically assess (to some degree) the cogency and persuasiveness of the arguments in the texts.

An essay of 1800 words will count for 50% of the final mark.  It will assess students’ familiarity with the texts, ability to understand the texts, and capacity to make a persuasive and focused argument in response to an assigned question.  Emphasis will be placed on clarity of expression and the ability to structure an argument and provide support and evidence to back it up.  A final two hour examination will count for 50% of the final mark.  It will assess students’ comprehension of key ideas and arguments, and ability to take a clear position and express it under exam conditions.
 

This module is intended to provide students from a wide range of scholarly backgrounds with a general introduction to some of the major trends in twentieth century European intellectual history.  No prior knowledge of any of these areas is presumed.  The course begins by considering diagnosis of the ‘crisis of modernity’ in European civilisation as understood by Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche.  European thought since then is presented as a series of attempts to come to terms with this situation and to explore its implications.  The course will focus on modernism, psychoanalysis, existentialism, feminism, and postmodernism.

Harvey, ‘Modernity and Modernism’, in The Condition of Postmodernity

Marx, The Communist Manifesto (selections)

Freud, Five Lectures on Psychoanalysis

Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism

Sartre, Being and Nothingness

Beauvoir, The Second Sex

Harvey, ‘Postmodernism’, in The Condition of Postmodernity

Foucault, ‘Truth and Power’

Foucault, Discipline and Punish