SYLLABUS-IN-PROGRESS: Religious Studies 777 (Winter 2006) - Topics in Philosophy and Jewish Thought

HEIDEGGER AND DERRIDA

updated March 20, 2006

This syllabus is posted at http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/danahol/777 and is also accessible by way of my home page (see below).  It will be updated periodically, and students in the class are asked to consult it regularly during the semester

Resources relevant to Heidegger & Derrida    Final Paper Assignment


CLASS MEETINGS: Thursdays, 2:30-4:30 p.m., University Hall 122

INSTRUCTOR: Dana Hollander, Department of Religious Studies, University Hall 109. 
(905) 525-9140, ext. 24759*  danahol@mcmaster.ca
http://univmail.cis.mcmaster.ca/~danahol/

*in your phone and e-mail messages, please let me know how I can reach you by phone


Course Description / Course Readings / Course Requirements   |   SCHEDULE: January / February / March 


COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will focus on Martin Heidegger's Summer 1927 lecture course The Basic Problems of Phenomenology, which was conceived as an extension of aspects of Being and Time (1927), and on Jacques Derrida's Of Grammatology (1967), the book that can most clearly be identified as having publicly launched the project of "deconstruction."  Our final reading will be "Plato's Pharmacy" (1968).


COURSE READINGS


COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Grades will be based on Participation/Presentation(s) 50%, Written Work 50%.


JANUARY 5

Organizational Meeting, Introductory Remarks


JANUARY 12

Heidegger, The Basic Problems of Phenomenology (1927), Intro. & ch. 1

JANUARY 19

The Basic Problems: ch. 2 & 3: to §14

JANUARY 26

The Basic Problems: ch. 3: §15, ch. 4

FEBRUARY 3

The Basic Problems: begin part 2

FEBRUARY 9

The Basic Problems: part 2, cont'd


FEBRUARY 16

The Basic Problems: finish part 2

 
MARCH 9

Derrida, introductory readings:

  • Geoffrey Bennington, biographical overview in Bennington/Derrida, Jacques Derrida  
  • "The Time of a Thesis: Punctuations" (1980) (from Philosophy in France Today, ed. Montefiore) 
  • "Letter to a Japanese Friend" (1983) in Kamuf (ed.), A Derrida Reader. Between the Blinds 

begin Of Grammatology (1967), part I

References. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, 2nd ed. (2005): "Structuralism""Saussure, Ferdinand, de"  (by R. Schleifer/G. Rupp)

 


MARCH 16

continue Of Grammatology, part I

 

MARCH 23

finish Of Grammatology, part I

begin "Plato's Pharmacy" (1968) in Dissemination [book on reserve] 

References. Patrick ffrench/Roland-François Lack, The Tel Quel Reader (1998); Tel Quel, Théorie d'ensemble (1968); Michael Naas, ch. 1 of Taking on the Tradition.

 

MARCH 30

Plato, Phaedrus

Guest Speaker: Zdravko Planinc (Department of Religious Studies)

 

MONDAY, APRIL 3 - time TBA

finish "Plato's Pharmacy"


Copyright © 2006 Dana Hollander