ENGL 153 - Out of Control - Pre-Modern Psychology

An introduction to the stories about mind, brain, and behavior composed by pre-modern writers. These early writers explore anger, passion, greed, pride, and despair by making stories that dramatize and sometimes personify the workings of various mental faculties. The stories ask our questions: how much control, and what type of control, might we have over our emotions and reactions? Readings begin with a discussion of contemporary cognitive theory in relation to the neuroscience of narrative by Paul Armstrong, Professor of English, Brown University. The readings then include selections from Aristotle, Homer, Virgil, St. Augustine, Chretien de Troyes, Chaucer, and the anonymous authors of medieval drama. Throughout the course, students return to the work of Paul Armstrong as they consider different types of narratives. This is a discussion-based course with a writing component.

Credits: 1.0
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: No Junior, No Senior
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts Practices: Artistic Practice and Interpretation and The Process of Writing
Core Component: None

Click here for Course Offerings by term