CSP 28 Human/Nature: Literary Visions of a Complex Relationship

The relationship of human beings to the natural world is indeed a complex one. The very notion of a distinction between the two realms has long been fundamental to our understanding of ourselves as a species, while at the same time the sense of how these apparently different spheres co-exist and inform one another has changed dramatically over time. Today increasing concerns over global change leave us wondering whether there is still any room in between a humanly constructed world and a natural environment beyond or outside it. This course will read a selection of literary efforts -- from the classical world to the contemporary -- that seek to define or make sense of the human/nature dynamic, with the goal to understand better how representations of this relationship have evolved over time, what constitutes the key themes of different historical perspectives, and how these differing views can help us make sense of the human age in which we find ourselves today.