French

This course presents the political philosophy of John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), the most influential British philosopher of the nineteenth century and a central figure in the liberal tradition of political thought. ON LIBERTY (1859), his most widely known work and one which no student of political philosophy can afford to ignore, is a cornerstone of classical liberal theory; and THE SUBJECTION OF WOMEN (1869) constitutes a pioneering application of the theory—and of Mill's empiricism—to the question of equality between the sexes. The course proceeds in an orderly fashion through all five chapters of ON LIBERTY before turning to a thorough reading of THE SUBJECTION OF WOMEN, making regular pauses to put Mill's thought in broader perspective against the general background of his empiricist philosophy, as well as the historical place of his thought within the liberal tradition.

This course focuses on the major theories of acting developed in the 20th century in the West, a period during which the theater underwent major transformations, particularly in terms of pedagogy. More specifically, it deals with the work carried out by French actors and directors such as Copeau, Decroux, Barrault, Marceau, and lecoq. The course also studies the two pillars of this pedagogical revolution, Constantin Stanislavski and Vsevolod Meyerhold, who, in Russia, were the first to emphasize the importance of systematic training for the actor based on the practice of exercises. It explores how their discoveries have changed the habits of the actor while opening the way to new research initiatives, including those of Jerzy Grotowski and Eugenio Barba, whose proposals are analyzed during the course.

This course presents a multifaceted France constructed by the juxtaposition of diverse spheres. The history of this construction is an arduous one of conflict and constant change. By focusing on evolving institutions, the course analyzes the political struggles out of which the French State arose and developed its current form. It pays particular attention to fundamental developments during the 19th century, using a novel approach to study of that period. Class discussion plays an important role in this course, as students are encouraged to interact with the material not only to consolidate their grasp of the subject but also as a way to analyze events, explore causality, and therefore discover the complexity and subtlety of historical analysis.

This course examines the influence of colonizer religions on countries in Africa and how these religions are used in political relationships between African countries, specifically Senegal, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria. It primarily focuses on Islam and Christianity but also includes indigenous religions found in various regions. Topics include missions and colonization, African Pentecostalism, political Islam and radical movements, and Islamo-Christian relations.