Institutions of Enlightenment: The Invention of the Public Sphere

This course treats the cultural foundations upon which the Enlightenment instituted a public sphere and constituted its relationship to the private (or intimate) sphere. The aim is to explore the invention and naturalization of some of the most fundamental institutions of the Enlightenment -- institutions such as the public, the private, the market, public opinion, literature, and even more basic categories such as the individual, society, culture, knowledge, and politics.