The Focal Group in Philosophy and Literature brings together scholars and students from eight departments to investigate questions in aesthetics and literary theory, philosophically-inflected literary texts, and the form of philosophical writings. Fields of interest include both continental and analytic philosophy, as well as cognitive science, political philosophy, rational choice theory, and related fields. Students may sign up for a unit of credit each quarter via DLCL 222. To earn the unit, students must secure written permission in advance from one of the instructors, before the final study list deadline. They must then do one of the following three things: (a) attend an event hosted by the Philosophy and Literature group (including events hosted by the graduate workshop) and write up a reaction paper of 2-5 pages; (b) present a paper of their own to the graduate workshop; (c) agree with one of the DLCL 222 instructors on a reading related to the year's activities, and meet with him/her for a discussion of that reading. Normally, students should register for the CR/NC option; only students planning to use DLCL 222 for the Ph.D. minor in Philosophy and Literature should enroll for a letter grade.
1 units · Satisfactory/No Credit
The Focal Group in Philosophy and Literature brings together scholars and students from eight departments to investigate questions in aesthetics and literary theory, philosophically-inflected literary texts, and the form of philosophical writings. Fields of interest include both continental and analytic philosophy, as well as cognitive science, political philosophy, rational choice theory, and related fields. Students may sign up for a unit of credit each quarter via DLCL 222. To earn the unit, students must secure written permission in advance from one of the instructors, before the final study list deadline. They must then do one of the following three things: (a) attend an event hosted by the Philosophy and Literature group (including events hosted by the graduate workshop) and write up a reaction paper of 2-5 pages; (b) present a paper of their own to the graduate workshop; (c) agree with one of the DLCL 222 instructors on a reading related to the year's activities, and meet with him/her for a discussion of that reading. Normally, students should register for the CR/NC option; only students planning to use DLCL 222 for the Ph.D. minor in Philosophy and Literature should enroll for a letter grade.
Offered in Autumn 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027 at Stanford University.