PHIL 450H Special Topic: Philosophy of Literature

In this course we will read and discuss issues in the specialty area of aesthetics known as philosophy of literature. Some of the questions characteristic of this enterprise include: What counts as a work of literature? Are there objective standards of evaluation? Do fictional characters exist? How do we make sense of claims about fiction? Why do we have emotional responses to literature? Do the intentions of the author matter or should interpretation be left up to the reader?