To See The One That Sees You
Janne Teller
Instructor
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Janne TellerFormer UN economist, now novelist and essayist; author of Come, Nothing and Odin's Island
Categories
About the Course
Who are we? What defines our identity? In this course, Janne Teller rejects the current fashionable definition of identity based on external markers, such as nationality, religion, job and sexuality. Instead, she argues that we should define our identity more dynamically, based predominantly on our inner characteristics, enabling us to better understand and interact with people of other 'identities'.
By the end of the course, you will have learnt:
- The origins and history of identity
- The problems with our current markers of identity
- The importance of art in uniting people with different identities
- What our 'essence' is, and why it is important
- A utopian vision for how we should define ourselves, and how this will affect society as a whole
IAI Academy courses are designed to be challenging but accessible to the interested student. No specialist knowledge is required.
About the Instructor
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Janne Teller
Janne Teller is a celebrated novelist and essayist, having previously worked as a macroeconomist for the United Nations and the European Union. Despite being initially banned, her novel Nothing has won numerous awards in various languages. Teller’s work is often aimed at young adults, and belongs to the existentialist tradition. As well as dealing with contemporary philosophical issues, her work covers political themes from the challenges of refugees to the dangers of mass surveillance.
Course Syllabus
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Part One: What is Identity?
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Part Two: In Search of the EssenceIn this section, Janne Teller explores the essence, the power of literature and a utopian ideal of identity
