FYW-1204 Human Animal or Human Machine?

How do technologies shape our understanding of the universe, the environment, and humankind? Do feelings expressed in the 18th and 19th centuries about nature, technology, and the work of art-from proud associations with “natural talents” to a pronounced shame inspired by mechanical resemblances-influence today’s ideas about art, the human being, and society? To engage these questions, students will explore and write on a variety of texts that address the shifting ideas of nature and technology central to Romantic-era thought and which continue to frame current debates about the nature of life itself. 4 credits.

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