Comparative Thought and Literature

Investigate global ideas through literature, philosophy, art, and critical thinking 

Explore literature, philosophy, and theory across periods, regions, and disciplines. You’ll develop tools for critical analysis, creative interpretation, and understanding major issues that connect literature with philosophy, history, and culture. This minor encourages you to draw connections across languages and time periods, broadening intellectual horizons and strengthening analytical skills useful in any field. 

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CLASSES YOU MIGHT TAKE

First-Year Seminar: What Makes Us Human?

In this First-Year Seminar, you’ll dive into how humans have asked what it means to be human—from myths and religion to art, literature, and philosophy. You’ll read stories and poems, look at art in museums, and think about how our ideas shape our relationships with animals, machines, and each other.

Dilemmas: When Fiction Asks You to Take Sides

In this class, you’ll dig into tough questions from stories and films—like whether someone should obey the law or resist, or if justice means sacrificing one life for another. You’ll practice different ways of reading and thinking so you can reflect on your own role as a reader, judge, and ethical decision-maker.

The Future of Work: AI, Labor, and Migration

How is the “AI Revolution” changing work today? In this course, you’ll look at how AI impacts underemployment, migration, and diasporic communities. Through readings, writing, and presentations, you’ll explore what work, community, and solidarity mean in a world shaped by AI.

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Hopkins students are eager to pursue their interests outside the classroom. With 400+ student-led organizations, here are just a few you could join: