English 349 - Cosmopolitanism

"Nothing that is human can be alien to me." This is the motto of cosmopolitanism, a philosophy first formed by the Greeks, which emphasizes our common status as citizens of the world and urges us to value the universal as highly as the local. Today, this view can seem naïve: is it advisable, even possible, to privilege absent strangers and lofty ideals above the needs of those nearby? This course considers the promise and perils of cosmopolitanism through the lens of contemporary transnational literature-through representations of immigration, asylum, transnational capital, tourism, terrorism, and environmentalism. Authors may include Rushdie, Naipaul, Coetzee, Adichie, Hemon, and Bulawayo.

This course is open to Juniors and Seniors.; Prereq: 8 credits in English.