The works of philosophy, literature, and cinema from East Europe open the ways of knowing and being that help us notice and sometimes escape authoritarian institutions and ideologies. A novel by a Ukrainian writer, Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky and a film by an Armenian director, Segei Paradjanov will allow us to understand some of the pagan beliefs of the Hutsul people from the Carpathian mountains. These beliefs that survived under a thin veneer of Christianity until last century reveal a distinct ontology that challenges some of the core principles of our own times. Philosophical Letters of Petr Chaadaev and Sergei Eisenstein’s film Ivan the Terrible will allow us to reflect on the importance of memory and perversity of tyrants. A Georgian philosopher, Merab Mamardashvili will help bring into relief the significance of civil society and personal responsibility.
Students will be expected to participate in a workshop and attend a field trip. Open only to first-year frosh.