Course Previews: Philosophies of Love and Sex

This afternoon’s fall course preview is a class taught by philosophy professor Dan Yim, who is also teaching a section of Contemporary Moral Issues.

PHI228L Philosophies of Love and Sex

Days/Times: M/W/F 12:30-1:20pm in Fall 2022

Prerequisites: GES130 Christianity and Western Culture and GES160 Inquiry Seminar (can take at the same time), or GES244 Humanities III

Counts for:

• General Education: Contemporary Western Life and Thought (L) course

• Major option: Philosophy (Contemporary or Global Philosophy option), Digital Humanities (Humanities core elective)

• Minor: Gender Studies (elective), Philosophy (elective)

Anselm Feuerbach’s late 19th century painting of Plato’s Symposium – Wikimedia

Complete this sentence: “Students should consider taking this course because…“

“…it is fascinating to see how our concepts of love, sex, and gender roles have shifted, sometimes dramatically, over the course of the history of western civilization, especially since the early formations of these concepts were so tied up with religion.”

What’s a big question you’re asking in this course?

How did our ideas of love, sex, and gender roles evolve in the contexts of philosophy and history?

How often have you taught this course?

I think I’m on my fifth or sixth time around.

What’s a reading you’re excited for students to encounter and discuss?

I always love discussing the film 500 Days of Summer (2009) with students. First, the story is told out of chronological order, which creates a novel experience of narrative logic. Second, the two protagonists have massively conflicting ideas about love, which makes for a comic and tragic story line.