Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
This course provides a survey into the western philosophical treatments of the body in different historical periods. Beginning with Ancient Greek philosophy, we will trace how the body is understood in relation to thought, psuche, desire, and knowledge. We will then look at the subjugation of the body and its separation from the soul in Medieval thought and contrast the mechanistic and vitalistic accounts of the body in 17th century. From then on, we will turn to Nietzsche’s approach to the body as that which has been forgotten throughout the history of western philosophy, in relation to his notion of will to power. We will then continue with Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of the body and Beauvoir’s and Fanon’s subsequent contributions to it by way of reflecting on the lived experience of gender and race. Finally, we will turn our attention to Foucault’s genealogical account of the body and the status of the body in the age of posthumanism.
How, following Nietzsche, has the body been misunderstood? We will practice thinking with the body and through the body and exploring the lived experience of the body, as well as its various constructions, reconsctructions, and deconstructions. While not mandatory, it is highly recommended that you engage in a bodily activity of your choice while taking this course and reflect on that experience throughout the semester as we explore the relation between body and thought.