Helena de Bres
Professor of Philosophy
Works on philosophy of literature and moral philosophy, with a focus on personal narration, memoir and meaning in life.
My current research centers on philosophy of literature--in particular, the nature and value of memoir--and the question of what makes a life meaningful. The rest of my work in philosophy addresses questions of distributive justice in global politics. You can find descriptions of my papers here.
I also have a major interest in creative writing and public philosophy. You can find some essays, humor pieces and information about a couple of current book projects here.
I teach courses in ethics, political philosophy and philosophy of literature. You can find my cartoonish guide to taking philosophy classes here and descriptions of my courses here.
In my spare time, I like to read, swim, wander outside, and travel out west.
Education
- B.A., Victoria University
- M.A., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Current and upcoming courses
Philosophy of Literature
PHIL220
This class will consider philosophical questions concerning the nature, appreciation and value of literary works, including: What is literature? What distinguishes fiction from creative nonfiction? Do fictional characters exist? Do emotional responses to fiction make sense? Are an author’s intentions relevant to interpreting their work? Can there be more than one correct interpretation of a literary work? Are some works of literature objectively better than others? What, if anything, can we learn from literature? Does reading literature make us morally better people? Is it wrong for non-minority writers to write from the perspective of members of minority groups? The course will cover these and other topics in metaphysics, value theory, philosophy of language and mind and include work by philosophers, literary theorists and creative writers.
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Seminar: The Meaning of Life
PHIL340
This seminar will explore a range of questions concerning life's meaning. Is meaning possible in a world without God? What is the difference between a happy life and a meaningful one? What is the role of love, achievement, knowledge, beauty, virtue and authenticity in a meaningful life? Do the stories we tell about our lives contribute to their meaning? Is life, in the end, absurd - or just kind of awful? Does meaning now depend on death later? We will discuss answers to these and related questions, using readings from both philosophy and literature.