ENGL 6255

ENGL 6255

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2018-2019.

What kind of thing is a fiction? How do imaginary creations exist in relation to the "real" world? What are the points of contact between actual and imaginary experiences? Is fiction immaterial (an idea) or material (words on a page)? What kinds of knowledge can a fiction produce? Are fictions nothing but lies? This seminar investigates such philosophical problems in the context of pre-modern theories of fiction: what it is, how it works, and why it matters. We will survey drama, poetry, romance, utopia, travel narrative, philosophical prose, and the familiar essay. We will also explore how various technical discourses define "fiction," including poetics, natural philosophy, natural history, faculty psychology, ethnography, mechanical philosophy, and legal theory.

When Offered Spring.

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Syllabi: none
  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 17237 ENGL 6255   SEM 101