PL 234 - Philosophical Perspectives: Philosophy of Culture

(3.00 cr.)

Prerequisite: PL 201 . What defines culture and in what sorts of ways can we think about cultural difference? The American Dream is the major paradigm for cultural self-definition in the United States, but is it a dream or rather, an illusion? Some thinkers see it merely as an interpretation of capitalist economic theory. This course challenges the solidity, utility, and morality of the American Dream by setting it against competing paradigms. Students take a critical look at American culture through the eyes of some modern and contemporary critics, such as Marx, Chomsky, Fussell, and Schlosser.