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Eighteenth-Century Literature OpenCourseWare: A Free Undergraduate Literature Class by MIT

Published Feb 07, 2009

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Discover the literary roots of modern ideas about personal identity, free will and determinism in this free online course from MIT. In 'Eighteenth-Century Literature: Versions of the Self in 18th-Century Britain,' students explore a wide variety of genres and works that touch on the subject of identity, from lyric poetry to philosophical prose, by authors including Alexander Pope, David Hume, Mary Shelley and more. This undergraduate-level OpenCourseWare is well suited to students interested in a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature, English, Philosophy or History.

Eighteenth-Century Literature: Versions of the Self in 18th-Century Britain: Course Specifics

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Eighteenth-Century Literature: Versions of the Self in 18th-Century Britain: Course Description

MIT's course on eighteenth-century British literature begins with a late seventeenth-century essay by John Locke in which he proposed that knowledge is derived from experience, as opposed to God's will or the laws of nature. At the time, this was a radical assertion that led to two contradictory conclusions, either individuals choose the course of their own lives or they are simply following a path pre-determined by life experiences that are out of their control. In 'Eighteenth-Century Literature: Versions of the Self in 18th-Century Britain,' students explore a diverse body of British writing that grapples with the issues of personal identity, free will and determinism. Readings are drawn from many different literary genres, including lyric poetry, novels, diaries, philosophical treatises and political essays. Authors covered in the course include Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, William Blake and Mary Shelley. The course examines specific topics drawn from Locke's proposal in these texts, including questions of writers and the imagination, gender identity and the relationship between the individual and society. This lecture-based course from MIT is taught by Professor Noel Jackson.

A list of suggested readings and written assignments is available on the course website. If you're curious about this free online course, visit the will and determinism in eighteenth-century British literature course page.

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