Posthumanism, Actor-Network Theory, Object-Oriented Ontology, etc.: 21st-Century Trends in Literary and Cultural Theory

The first decades of the 21^st century have seen a wave of new and very innovative theoretical approaches in literary and cultural studies. It may be claimed in very general (and maybe too general) manner that all of these theories, in one way or another, grapple with the meaning and position of the ‘human’. The elevation of the human being throughout modernity, i.e., the fact that humankind has been placed at the center of the (Western) order of things at least since the Enlightenment, is radically rethought. In view not least of the ongoing destruction of the environment in what is called the Anthropocene, most of the recent theoretical approaches put a stress on the necessity for us to decenter the human by creating an awareness of the positioning of humankind within a network of animate and inanimate entities, all of which have the potential to act.

In the seminar, we will read theoretical texts by eminent thinkers such as Bruno Latour, Donna Haraway, Sarah Ahmed, Timothy Morton, and Jane Bennett. Although we will also consider other cultural texts of several kinds (narrative texts, films etc.) in order to make these thinkers’ intricate propositions ‘tangible’, the emphasis will clearly be on the (close-)reading of theory. Hence, while participants will gain important insights into ways of making sense of the world today, they will also train their reading competency (and this can best be done by reading complex texts).

Most of the texts will be made available on Moodle. In case a text needs to be purchased, this will be announced in the first session.

Assignments depend on the respective course of studies and will be explained in the first session.

Personal attendance during the first session is required to maintain enrolment status.
Please direct all your inquiries about vacancies to britlit.fragen.fk15tu-dortmundde.