Structure of Concentration
A concentration in Critical Theory consists of five (5) courses and one (1) course or project that involves a major research paper. At least three (3) of the five courses counted toward the concentration must be selected from the list of Core Courses. No more than three (3) of the five courses may be taken in any single department.
The major research paper must focus primarily on Critical Theory and must be completed in the senior year or after the student has taken four CT courses—whichever comes first. Students may fulfill this requirement by completing: (a) a departmental senior seminar that requires a major paper engaging with Critical Theory; (b) a departmental Honors project focused on Critical Theory; or (c) an equivalent research paper or project approved in advance by the program coordinator (e.g. an independent study with a participating faculty member; a Keck summer research project).
All courses and the activity in which the student will produce the major research paper should be selected and developed as part of a coherent plan in consultation with an advisor from the steering committee, and must be approved by the director of the program. A copy of the final project should also be supplied to the program director.
Core Courses focus directly and in a sustained manner on the founders and architects of Critical Theory, including its background traditions of thought. These courses offer a basic understanding of the genealogy, purpose, and philosophical/historical/intellectual background of Critical Theory, and provide students with the fundamental conceptual framework and terminology of the field.
(Joanna Inglot)
(Nathan Hensley)
Introduction to Literary Theory (Nathan Hensley)
Theoretical Perspectives on the French Enlightenment (Andrew Billing)
Darwin, Nietzsche, Freud (David Martyn)
Dead White Men (Kiarina Kordela)
Topics (when appropriate) (topics vary: e.g., Metaphysics in Secular Thought, Concepts of Freedom from Leibniz to Agamben, German-French Dialogues in Critical Theory, Value) (Kiarina Kordela or David Martyn)
Postcolonial Theory (David Moore)
Existentialist Metaphysics (Diane Michelfelder)
Seminar in Twentieth-Century Continental Philosophy (Diane Michelfelder)
Foundations of Political Theory (Frank Adler)
Marxism and Religion: Religion as Ideology (Erik Davis)
(Khaldoun Samman)
(Lara Nielsen)
(Sonita Sarker)
Elective Courses either use critical-theory-oriented approaches or focus on more peripheral representatives of the field or address specialized subfields within Critical Theory. They offer students a chance to acquire more detailed mastery of specific topics in the field of Critical Theory, as well as to gain exposure to the broader array of its applications in contemporary discourse.
Black Feminist Thought (Duchess Harris)
(Karin Aguilar-San Juan)
: Race and the Law (Duchess Harris)
(Olga Gonzalez)
(Olga Gonzalez)
(Nathan Hensley)
(Nathan Hensley)
(Joëlle Vitiello)
Revolutionary Thought in France (Andrew Billing)
(Christopher Scott)
(John Kim)
(Genevieve Yue)
Philosophy of Technology (Diane Michelfelder)
(Joy Laine)
(Frank Adler)
Society Worshipping Itself: Durkheim and Religion (Erik Davis)
(Paula Cooey)
(Erik Davis)
The Politics of Fear (Khaldoun Samman)
(Lara Nielsen)
(Joanna Inglot and Lara Nielsen)
(Corie Hammers)
(Sonita Sarker)
Students are encouraged to take courses on Critical Theory during their study abroad. Up to one course credits may be counted toward the completion of the concentration with the advance approval of the program director.
Macalester