Section Info: PHIL-244-01

Course Title: Philosophy and Literature

Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026

Term: Spring Semester 2026

Description: This course examines philosophical questions about and in literature. Can a work of literature also be a work of philosophy? Can literature yield knowledge about the world? Do works of literature have determinate meanings, and if so, how can we know them? Are the author's intentions or identity relevant to how a work is to be interpreted? Can works of literature be immoral? We will study some proposed answers to these questions, critique those proposals, and develop our own arguments. Readings will include both philosophical texts and works of literature. This course teaches philosophical writing.

Distribution(s): I - Humanities , WI - Writing-Intensive

Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate

Credits:4.00

Faculty	Phone	Email address
James Harold	413-538-2366	jharold@mtholyoke.edu

Meeting Dates	Method	Meeting days	Meeting times	Building name	Room	Frequency
01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026	Discussion	Tuesday and Thursday	10:30AM - 11:45AM	TBA	TBA	Weekly

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Requisite Courses
Prereqs: 4 credits in the Philosophy.	Take previously	Required

Comments

Additional Comments

Course Tags

Cross-listed Sections

None

Course Availability
Section status: Waitlisted	Capacity: 18	Enrollment: 19	Available: 0	Waitlist: 4

Please note: The "Available" count will equal 0 in a Waitlisted course where spaces in the course have recently opened and students have not yet been moved into them from the waitlist.

BOOK INFORMATION

Book List	Required	Publisher Full Price
Title: The Merchant of Venice Author: Shakespeare, William Copyright: 2009 Edition: Volume: ISBN: Publisher: Simon & Schuster	Required	9.99
Title: The Turn of the Screw: Norton Critical Edition Author: James, Henry Copyright: 2020 Edition: 3rd Volume: ISBN: Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company	Required	17.38
Title: Yellowface Author: Kuang, R. F. Copyright: 2025 Edition: Volume: ISBN: Publisher: William Morrow	Required	18.99

Additional Book Comments

This is the complete book list for this class.

Instructor's comments about the book list: You may use any edition of The Merchant of Venice. However, it is important to use the Norton Critical Edition of The Turn of the Screw, as we will be reading some of the other material in that edition.