Roads to Mecca: Pilgrimage Writings from the Islamic World
MELC 286 A
A Term, Hybrid Format
(listed as “Themes in Middle Eastern Literature”)
Explore pilgrimage narratives from across the Muslim world through literature, film, and historical accounts. By exploring diverse narratives spanning Malcolm X’s “Hajj” to Uighur shrine pilgrimages, the class will unpack the cultural, political, and literary dimensions of pilgrimage.
Aria Fani, Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures
5 credits, A&H, SSc, W
The Question of Human Nature: Talking Animals
CHID 110 A
A Term, In Person
How do stories about talking animals — in different times and cultural contexts — challenge assumptions about what it means to be human, when we are “talking animals” ourselves? How does their speech challenge widely held definitions of what it means to be human, what counts as communication, and the origins of language? Explore what animals and their speech represent.
Erin Gilbert, Comparative History of Ideas
5 credits, AH, SSC, W
Sociology of Morality
SOC 301 A
Full Term, In Person
(listed as “Special Topics in Sociology”)
Why do scientists believe a tendency toward morality is a fundamental aspect of being human and necessary for survival in groups? In this course, learn what constitutes morality, how that differs across time and place, why morality both unites and divides us, and how social scientists measure moral beliefs. Rather than agreeing on a “best” moral system, students will learn why people disagree so much about what it might be.
Mark Igra, Sociology
5 credits, SSc
Comparative Study of Death
RELIG 320 / ANTH 322
Full Term, In Person
Death is inevitable but shrouded in mystery and often surrounded by fear, dread, and uncertainty. Learn about the profound and diverse ways various cultures navigate death, grief, and the afterlife. We will explore understandings and practices of death as a representation of culture and social organization and situate death within a broader understanding of biopolitics and decolonization. Guest speakers include a death doula, spiritual leaders, and community representatives.
Paula Saravia, Anthropology
5 credits, SSc
Philosophy in Literature
PHIL 347
B Term, In Person
Through reading religious literature, novellas, short stories, and creative non-fiction — including Vyasa's Bhagavad Gita, Dostoevsky, Borges, Sartre, Toni Morrison, Oliver Sacks, and Ted Chiang — this discussion-based course will explore theories about reality, the nature of perception, and value, with ample opportunity to discuss, consider, and write philosophical fiction or other forms of non-traditional essays.
Charles Ives, Philosophy
5 credits, A&H, SSc, W
