Understanding Loneliness: Literature, Philosophy,Theory
- All levels
- 21 and older
- $315
- 12 hours over 4 sessions
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Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ Online Classroom
Explore the realm of dreams through the lenses of philosophy, psychology, and the unconscious in this interdisciplinary course. Discover how dreams have inspired artists, writers, and theorists, shedding light on the nature of reality and our connection to others. Delve into the works of Freud, Benjamin, Coleridge, and more as you unravel the profound connections between dreams and waking life.
Apr 14th
2–5pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
How are we to understand loneliness today? It appears that we are facing a mass epidemic of loneliness—one perhaps exacerbated by virological pandemic of COVID-19. Britain has appointed a Minister of Loneliness to counter rising rates of isolation. Approximately 20-43 percent of American adults over the age of 60 experience “frequent or intense loneliness.” And, it is clear from medical research that loneliness has significant health impacts: lonely people are more likely to develop chronic health conditions and die younger. What are the causes of mass loneliness, and what consequences might it have, not only for individuals, but also for cultural and political life?
In this course, we will examine the political and cultural aspects of loneliness through political theory, philosophy, and literature. We will ask: From what does loneliness stem? Is it, as Sigmund Freud argued, native to the human condition; or is it, per Erich Fromm, a function of capitalist life? What does it mean to be lonely? Are there different forms of loneliness? Is there a difference between solitude and loneliness? Is there a connection between the rise of loneliness and the resurgence of nationalism and illiberalism? Does social media exacerbate loneliness? What does a politics of loneliness, whether against or for, look like? As we consider loneliness in its multiple dimensions, we’ll read from works by Hannah Arendt, David Riesman, Arlie Hochschild, William Shakespeare, Herman Melville, Sigmund Freud, Erich Fromm, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, among others.
This course is available for "remote" learning and will be available to anyone with access to an internet device with a microphone (this includes most models of computers, tablets). Classes will take place with a "Live" instructor at the date/times listed below.
Upon registration, the instructor will send along additional information about how to log-on and participate in the class.
In any event where a customer wants to cancel their enrollment and is eligible for a full refund, a 5% processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.
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The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research was established in 2011 in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Its mission is to extend liberal arts education and research far beyond the borders of the traditional university, supporting community education needs and opening up new possibilities for scholarship in the...
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