LLC4050 - Freud's Vienna

Leader: Dr. Christiane Weller

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit will examine Freud's writings in the context of Austrian (and German) literature, philosophy, art and architecture at the turn of the century. It will focus on the intellectual life of the urban centres particularly Vienna, cultural criticism, the nascent youth movement and new conceptualizations of corporality and the workings of the psyche. In examining the historical and philosophical underpinnings of Freud's psychoanalysis students will be acquainted with a broad range of texts (Hofmannsthal, Schnitzler, Beer-Hofmann, Bahr, Kraus, Musil, Mach, Weininger) as well as works of art and architecture (Klimt, Schiele, Loos, Olbrich, Wagner)

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this subject students will have aquired detailed knowledge of the main features of Austrian (and German) literary and cultural life in Vienna at turn of the 19th to the 20th century. Students will have a good grasp of key texts reflecting the intellectual debates of the period and they should have also developed an acute awareness of the formative historical forces in the late 19th and early 20th century. They will have improved their ability to analyse and interpret key concepts of Freud in light of the literary, philosophical and historical developments of the time and gained experience in relating isolated historical and aesthetic phenomena to a broader historical and theoretical framework.
Students will be capable of an informed discussion of the literature and philosophy/theory of the late 19th century and the early 20th century in its historical context and present the results of their own research in form of a class paper and in a more detailed written essay.
Fifth-year students employ a more sophisticated analysis and written presentation. They will be expected to read more widely and work at a higher level.

Assessment

Essay (5000 words): 60%;
Class Paper (2000 words): 20%;
Exam (2000 words): 20%

Contact hours

2 hour seminar

Prohibitions

LLC5050