PHIL 297 - Seminar in Metaphysics and Epistemology

FDR: HU
Credits: 3 credits in fall-winter-spring, 4 in spring

Spring 2022, PHIL 297A-01: Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Decadence and Decay (3). This seminar looks closely at what decadence and decay mean for culture, political life, and nature. From the Latin word “decadentia,” meaning to fall out of rhythm or beat, decadence is closely related to decay or “decidere,” which has to do with downturns and slips. Why does decadence evoke scorn and but also temptation? How do we cope with decay all around us? We will study sources from philosophy, cultural thought, and the arts to piece together what it means to say that a culture has slipped into decadence, that some pleasures are dangerously decadent to enjoy, or that organic matter decays. We will pay close attention to the connections of living in times of natural degradation, economic and cultural stagnation, and government paralysis. In order to have a more immersive experience during our Spring term, we will work on engaging projects with the W&L Museums and the Office of Sustainability as well as welcome fascinating guest speakers from the Art and Art History Department. We will devote at least one week to each of the following themes: 1) cultural decadence; 2) art and decadence; 3) political decadence; 4) decadence in nature. I hope that by the end of the term we will all have a good sense of the extent to which our lives are grappled by such fascinating phenomena and the practices we should foster in response. (HU) Quinonez.​