Fall 2007 Course Offerings

ECS 320  Totalitarianism and Culture
This seminar will examine the literary, architectural, and visual culture of Totalitarian Europe between the wars. It will focus on Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and Soviet Russia with a view toward discussing how totalitarian Soviet Union, we will conclude with some reflections on the legacy of totalitarianism for today, including discussions of the role of totalitarianism in contemporary post-communist Europe and elsewhere.
Professor: Anson Rabinbach
T 1:30 – 4:20

ECS 321 The Enlightenment and Its Post-/Modern Critics
"El sueño de la razón produce monstruos" (Goya) -- Is it the "sleep" or the "dream" of reason that produces monsters? The authors of the Age of Reason asked the same questions that are raised with fresh vigor today: What is Enlightenment? What are the implications of science, universalism, tolerance? In order to develop our own approaches, we will explore key texts of the 18th century on the intertwined issues of religion, universalism and colonialism, and we will juxtapose them with the critical inquiries of the 20th century into the -- finished or unfinished? -- project of the Enlightenment.
Professor: Andrea Schatz
W 7:30 pm – 10:20

ECS 323 Why Everyone Hates the West
Increasing numbers of people across the world hate the West.  We will look in detail at intellectual genealogies of anti-Westernism in Germany and Russia and different ideas of the "West" before branching out to other regions (especially the Islamic Middle East).
Professor: Mischa Gabowitsch
MW 1:30 - 2:50

return to main ECS page


Program in European Cultural Studies
Princeton University
Humanities Programs Building, Room 207, Princeton, NJ 08544
Director: Eileen Reeves (ereeves@princeton.edu)
Program Manager: Peggy Reilly (mjreilly@princeton.edu)
609-258-4713 -- fax 609-258-6866