Philosophy of Love in the Western World
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this seminar examining love and sex as subjects for both philosophical argument and literary analysis. Readings pair recent philosophical texts with classic myths and stories of love drawn from literature, using each to test the other: philosophical concepts get checked against the messiness of narrative, and the myths get pressed for the arguments buried inside them. Topics include the nature of romantic love, desire, jealousy, and the relationship between sexual attraction and moral or aesthetic value. The course materials include the full reading list and assignments as published by MIT, structured as a discussion seminar rather than a lecture series. No video lectures are included, but the syllabus, readings, and written assignments give a complete picture of how the seminar is run. Free to access, with no certificate offered.