Department of English

For professionals in the field of mental care, Freud’s work is often regarded as
outmoded, if not problematic; psychologists view his work as non-scientific,
dependent on theses that cannot be confirmed by experiments. In the realm of
literary and cultural theory, however, Freud’s work seems to have relevance
still, and is cited often. How do we understand the gap between a
medical/scientific reading of Freud’s work, and a humanist one? Where do we
locate Freud’s relevance today? This graduate course will concentrate on
Freud’s descriptions of psychoanalytic theory and practice, as well as his
writings on literature and culture. (Readings and discussion in English)