Trust: Literature & Philosophy (AS.213.209). Fake news, policing crises, and the like challenge students to reevaluate the notion of trust. The course takes up this challenge from two angles--theoretical and practical--by means of both literature and philosophy. The following questions will be of particular concern: What is the role of trust in society? What or whom should be trusted (ourselves, others, neither)? Is it possible and sometimes even preferable not to trust? Students can expect to gain familiarity with literary and philosophical works that have proven immensely influential in modern Europe and beyond, but will also be expected to consider ways in which such thinking has relevance for today's world.
