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The
TR 12.30-01.50pm
Classroom: AD235
Costica Bradatan
Office: McClellan 202A
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 11.30-12.30pm
& 2.00-3.00 (& by appointment)
Office Phone:
(806) 742-0036 (ext
248)
Email: costica.bradatan@ttu.edu
Webpage: http://www.webpages.ttu.edu/cbradata/
Course Description:
Why is a
given literary, philosophical or artistic work considered “novel,” “innovative”
or “revolutionary”? How is it that the new appears against a certain
intellectual background? To what extent is novelty an “objective”
characteristic, intrinsic to the work itself and to what extent is it the
result of its interaction with the
intellectual/artistic environment within which it emerges? What roles do
extraneous factors (such as competition and demands of the market, political
pressure/sponsorship, ideological and religious censorship) play in the genesis
of novelty? What are the major patterns of intellectual and artistic change in
the West? These are some of the questions that we will be addressing in the
class. The seminar
is an introduction to the Western humanities from Renaissance to our times,
with a special emphasis on the issues of novelty, originality, “paradigm
shift,” and intellectual change. The course proposes a close look at some of
the intense “knots” of novelty, first of all in philosophy and literature, but
also in the arts, with the aim of bringing about a better understanding of how
cultural history works, what the main “patterns of change” in the Western
tradition are, how originality is possible, and how the new is produced.
Course
Learning Objectives:
HONS 2302-H01 satisfies the university
core curriculum requirement in Humanities: “The objective of the humanities in
a core curriculum is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition
and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values
expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in
disciplines such as literature and philosophy, students will engage in critical
analysis and develop an appreciation of the humanities as fundamental to the
health and survival of any society. Students
graduating from Texas Tech University should be able to think critically and
demonstrate an understanding of the possibility of multiple interpretations,
cultural contexts, and values.” (TTU Catalogue)
Specifically,
upon successful completion of this Honors course students should:
Methods
of learning outcomes assessment:
·
Graded written work
·
Graded reading quizzes
·
Class participation
·
One-to-one tutorials
·
Informal feedback via emails, discussions, etc.
Honors
philosophy statement:
The fact that this is an honors class has an
important impact on the way these learning outcomes are being achieved. Thanks
to a combination of factors (small-size group, writing and reading intensive,
research-oriented class, a focus on dialogical learning, etc), we are in a
position to pay special attention to the qualitative
aspects of the learning process. In particular, the research component of the
class (which automatically means a focus on writing and reading) confers upon
this process a creative dimension and
places the student in a distinctly active
position.
Disclaimer: An essential component of this seminar is watching, discussing about, and
interpreting a series of art films that help us better grasp the concepts,
notions and ideas covered in class. Some of these films might display content
(nudity, language, violence, etc.) that some of you might find provocative or
inappropriate.
Required Texts:
·
Boorstin, Daniel (1993) The Creators: A History of Heroes of
the Imagination (Vintage) ISBN: 0679743758
·
Cunningham,
Lawrence and John Reich (2005), Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. Volume II; 6th
edition (Wadsworth Publishing). ISBN:
053458229X.
·
Thompson, Karl (1988) Classics of Western Thought Series: Middle Ages, Renaissance
and Reformation, Volume II (Classics of Western Thought) (
·
Knoebel, Edgar (1988) Classics of Western Thought Series: The
Modern World, Volume
III (Classics of Western Thought) (
All these books may be purchased from the TTU
bookstores. You may also purchase them from other bookstores
or online, provided that the ISBNs are the ones given above.
Course Requirements:
1.
Attendance and active class participation:
Since this is
an (honors) seminar, it is imperative
that you attend and participate in every class. Please do not be late! Any
unexcused absence will have an impact on your class participation/attendance
grade (5 % for each absence). After four (4) unexcused absences the instructor
may, at his discretion, recommend the University Registrar to drop the student from the
course. An absence is excused when you provide serious
documented evidence about it (signed note from the physician, signed letter
from the Dean, death notice, etc.) Active participation in classroom discussions includes (but is not limited
to): posing relevant questions; making informed comments and formulating
original points of view, establishing a fruitful dialogue with the other
students during the class, etc. When formulating your points of view, remarks
or comments, please do so in a respectful manner, in such a way as not to harm
the feelings of the other members of the class. Please be tolerant and respect
the religious, political and intellectual opinions of the other members of the
class. Showing respect to the others is, first of all, a form of
self-respect. You should also respect the fact that TTU is a secular
institution of higher education.
2.
Reading-based quizzes
There will be, at different times during
the semester, a number of impromptu (unannounced) quizzes based on the class
readings. The quiz component of the grade is worth 20 % (of the final grade).
In all, there will be 40 quiz questions, each question being worth 0.5 % of
your final grade. Students who miss a quiz will be allowed to repeat it only if
their absence was excused (see above).
The quiz
questions are always about the materials you are supposed to read for the
class. Please note that they have different
degrees of difficulty: some of these questions are quite easy to answer,
while others are harder. The rationale is that if you want to get the highest
grade, you should be prepared to answer all (or most of) the questions, the
easier ones as well as the more difficult ones. You can do so only if you do
the readings very carefully. In the interest of fairness, the final grades have
to reflect the different amounts of effort each student has put into this
class.
More
importantly: since this class is an honors
seminar – therefore, writing and reading intensive – you have to pay closer
attention to the readings, and be prepared to spend more on them. They are
theoretical (sometimes dense) texts. Read them more than once if necessary,
take notes and underline what you think it is important or what you don't
understand. Look up those terms/concepts that you are unfamiliar with, or
simply ask the instructor what they mean; compile e a list and bring it to
class, and we will discuss it item by item. These texts are important and you
can learn something (important) from them. Just give them the attention they
deserve and your efforts will be rewarded.
3-4.
Research project:
Since this is
an honors class, it is research-oriented
and writing intensive. Therefore, the
bulk of the final grade (see below “Grading policy”) will be determined by the
quality of the research project. This piece is the culmination of students’
work during the whole semester. It must be on a course-related topic, designed
by the student in consultation with the instructor. Students must think of a
good topic for their research project and discuss it with the instructor (stop
by during office hours or just make an appointment). The research paper must be
conceived of, structured, developed and written in such a way as to meet the
standards of academic excellence in the humanities, and following the
guidelines for submission of written work listed below. The three stages for
the production of this research paper are: a) Submission of a research topic
(title and/or one sentence), b) Submission of the first draft (about 4 pages),
and c) Submission of the final draft (about 9 pages), at the end of the
semester. (For deadlines, please see “Schedule of Events” below.)
Note on the first draft: Since your first draft will be graded, what is
expected from you is essentially a shorter version of the final draft. This way
your work can be judged using the “grading criteria for written work” stated in
the syllabus (see below).
Therefore, you should not submit (as your first draft) just a “work plan,” a
sketch, or a list of points you are going to touch on in the final draft. What
you submit as your first draft should look like a “finished paper” in terms of
argumentation, structure, citing sources, rhetoric, etc. Given the length of
the first draft, you may have to touch on only briefly some of the points. In
this case, you may wish to insert parenthetical mentions stating that you will
further explore those points in the final draft.
5. Oral
defense:
In the last couple of weeks of the semester students will have a chance
to defend their research project in class.
This will be a ten minute presentation in which they will present the main
argument of their project, support it with evidence and examples, and defend it
against the counterarguments brought by your peers and the instructor.
Individual conferences
Students are strongly encouraged to discuss with the instructor about any
aspects of their work for this class, and in particular about their research
project. All students taking this course are encouraged to make appointments
with the instructor in order to discuss issues related to the course. The
instructor may ask you to come in at other times for discussing particular
issues. Please feel free to email the instructor whenever you need to discuss
with him aspects of your work.
As the semester progresses each of you must think of
a topic for your research project. The topic for this final essay is designed
by you, but must be course-related, and discussed with the instructor (on the
occasion of a conferences or just make an appointment!).
Guidelines for Submission of Written Work:
·
MLA Citation Style (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
)
·
Word-process all written
work; handwritten papers will not be accepted;
·
Use standard font, in 12
point; double-spaced.
·
Number your pages;
·
Staple your pages
together;
·
At the top of the first
page include your name, date, and essay title;
·
Proofread and
spell-check before bringing any papers to class.
Grading Policy:
·
10% Regular attendance of seminar
meetings.
·
10% Active participation in classroom
discussions
·
20% Reading-based quizzes (40 questions,
0.5% each question)
·
20% First draft of the research paper
(graded)
·
30% Final draft of the research paper
·
10% Oral defense of the project
Grading System:
·
A+ (98-100); A
(94-97); A- (90-93)
·
B+ (88-89); B
(84-87); B- (80-83)
·
C+ (78-79); C
(74-77); C- (70-73)
·
D+ (68-69); D
(64-67); D- (60-63)
·
F (0-59)
What
the grades (for written work) mean
·
A (90-100).
o
highest quality in terms of argumentation,
supporting evidence, consistency, clarity, logical organization of the material
o
mastery of the basic concepts of the course and deep
understanding of the material covered
o
extensive research (much beyond the required
readings) and sophisticated use of primary and secondary sources
o
an excellent sense of structure, stylistic coherence
and unity
o
original and persuasive thinking/points of view
o
rhetorical sophistication
o
work meets current standards of academic writing in
the humanities
o
no (or only accidental ) mechanical errors
·
B (80-89)
o
Very good quality in terms of argumentation,
supporting evidence, consistency, clarity, logical organization of the material
o
mastery of the basic concepts of the course and good
understanding of the material covered
o
extensive research (beyond the required readings)
and balanced use of primary and secondary sources
o
a good sense of structure, stylistic coherence and
unity, despite occasional inconsistencies
o
persuasive thinking/points of view
o
rhetorical fluency
o
work generally meets current standards of academic
writing in the humanities
o
some mechanical errors
·
C (70-79)
o
Satisfactory quality in terms of argumentation,
supporting evidence, consistency, clarity, logical organization of the material
o
Satisfactory understanding of the basic concepts of
the course and of the material covered
o
some research and use of primary and secondary
sources
o
some sense of structure and stylistic coherence,
despite flaws
o
some rhetorical weakness
o
poor compliance with the standards of academic writing
in the humanities
o
frequent mechanical errors
·
D (60-69)
o
Some quality in terms of argumentation, supporting
evidence, consistency, clarity, logical organization of the material, but
undermined by gaps in knowledge and errors of fact
o
Some familiarity with the material covered, but not
enough for engaging with it in a coherent/meaningful way
o
Poor research and inadequate use of primary and
secondary sources
o
Poor sense of structure, lack of stylistic coherence
and unity
o
current standards of academic writing in the
humanities not met
o
many mechanical errors
·
F (0-59)
o
Missing work
o
Work incomplete (or off the topic) in a serious way
o
Serious deficiencies in argumentation, supporting
evidence, and logical organization
o
No relevant research
o
No sense of structure and lack of coherence
o
No observance of the standards of academic writing
University Policies and Regulations:
The instructor of this
course respects and upholds University policies and regulations pertaining to
the observation of religious holidays; assistance available to the physically
handicapped, visually and/or hearing impaired student; plagiarism; sexual
harassment; and racial or ethnic discrimination. All students are advised to
become familiar with the respective University regulations and are encouraged
to bring any questions or concerns to the attention of the instructor.
Absences for
religious holidays:
A
student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day
shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for
that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the
fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the
instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a
religious holy day.
Students with Disabilities:
Any
student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order
to meet the
course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make
any necessary
arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from
Student Disability
Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note instructors are
not allowed to provide
classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from
Student Disability
Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the
Student Disability
Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.
Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism, or academic
theft, is passing off someone else’s work as your own. Please note: plagiarism
simply means using someone else’s ideas
without acknowledging it (no matter if you use that person’s actual words
or not). Regardless of your background, you are responsible for not
plagiarizing. Plagiarism will be prosecuted; it can affect your permanent
record. Being a plagiarizer is incomparably worse than being unoriginal!
For more about plagiarism (and academic dishonesty in general), please read the
document “Texas Tech University Statement of Academic
Integrity”: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/studentjudicialprograms/academicinteg.php
Please note that plagiarism will not be tolerated in
this class under any circumstances! The penalty for plagiarism ranges, depending
on the gravity of the case, from a grade of F (0 %) for the paper in
question (without the possibility of resubmitting it) to F as final
grade for the class.
Week 1:
·
Thursday (1/8)
o
Topic: Introduction. Overview of the course.
o
Discussion: Why should we (still) study humanities?
o
Close reading: Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
Week 2:
·
Tuesday (1/13)
o
Topic: The Early Renaissance (New and Old in the Renaissance. The drive toward
synthesis. The significance of the Renaissance Humanism)
o
Close
o
·
Thursday (1/15)
o
Topic: Venetian splendors
o
Movie watching: The Merchant of
Venice
o
Reading: Boorstin,
pp. 380-397
Week 3:
·
Tuesday (1/20)
o
Topic: High Renaissance in
o
Close reading: Erasmus
o
·
Thursday (1/22)
o
Topic: The Dark Side of the Renaissance (The Varieties of Renaissance Cynicisms.
Murder. Magic. Inquisition. The case of Giordano Bruno.)
o
Close reading: Machiavelli
o
Reading: Boorstin,
pp. 398-419
Week 4:
·
Tuesday (1/27)
o
Topic: Elsewhere (Renaissance in
o
Close reading: Luther/Montaigne
o
·
Thursday (1/29)
o
Topic: Whose Renaissance?
o
Movie watching: Queen Margot
o
Readings: Boorstin,
pp. 428-451
Week 5:
·
Tuesday (2/3)
o
Topic: The Baroque World I (A World of Emotions. Counter-Renaissance. The
Religious Wars in
o
Close reading: Ignatius of
Loyola
o
·
Thursday (2/5)
o
Topic: The Baroque World II (Pascal as a Baroque thinker. Infinity. The
Anatomy of Anxiety. Discovery of the
o
Close reading: Descartes/Pascal
o
Readings: Boorstin,
pp. 556-584
Week 6:
·
Tuesday (2/10)
o
Topic: The Enlightenment I (The Enlightenment project. Counter-Enlightenment. Whose
Enlightenment? Voltaire. The Encyclopedists. An American Revolution)
o
Close reading: Locke
o
·
Thursday (2/12)
o
Library
Day: Working with sources I (Guest Lecturer: Jon Hufford, TTU Library)
Week 7:
·
Tuesday (2/17)
o
Topic: The Enlightenment II
o
Movie watching: Ridicule
o
Readings: Boorstin,
pp. 585-612
Deadline this day!
Submission of first draft of the research paper.
·
Thursday (2/19)
o
Topic: The French Revolution (The Idea of Revolution and the Quest for the
Earthly
o
Readings: Cunningham
& Reich (Chapter 17)
Week 8:
·
Tuesday (2/24)
o
Topic: The Romantics II (Kierkegaard. Schopenhauer. The Legacy of Romanticism.)
o
Close reading: Marx and Engels
o
Readings: Boorstin,
pp. 613-640
·
Thursday (2/26)
o
Topic: The Mad Genius
o
Movie watching: Edvard Munch
Week 9:
·
Tuesday (3/3)
o
Topic: Dostoevsky and Existentialism (Notes
from Underground. The Napoleonic Myth.
o
Close reading: Dostoevsky
o
Readings: Boorstin,
pp. 658-684
·
Thursday (3/5)
o
Topic: Fin du Siecle (1870-1914)
o
Close reading: Bakunin
o
Week 10:
·
Tuesday (03/10)
o
Topic: Prophets, Poets, Madmen
o
Close reading: Nietzsche
o
Reading: Knoebel, pp. 421-442
·
Thursday (03/12)
o
Topic: Expressionism
o
Movie watching: Frida
o
Readings: Boorstin,
pp. 697-714
Week 11:
·
Tuesday (3/17) Spring Break
·
Thursday (3/19) Spring Break
Week 12:
·
Tuesday (3/24)
o
Topic: The Bolshevik Revolution I (WWI. The Crisis of the European Mind. The
End of History? The Quest for the Earthly
o
Close reading: Lenin
o
Reaedings: Knoebel, pp. 577-596.
·
Thursday (3/26)
o
Topic: The Bolshevik Revolution II
o
Movie watching: Battleship Potemkin
Week 13:
·
Tuesday (3/31)
o
Topic: Between the Wars I
(Avant-gardism. Anxieties, masterpieces and economic crises. The philosophy of
nothingness. Fascisms. The Great Terror. The Invention of the Death Camp)
o
Close reading: Freud
o
·
Thursday (4/2)
o
Topic: Between the Wars II
o
Movie watching: Modern Times
o
Readings: Boorstin,
pp. 727-747.
Week 14:
·
Tuesday (4/7)
o
Topic: The WWII (The Industry
of Death. How was it possible? Expressing the unspeakable.)
o
Close reading: Hitler
o
Readings: Knoebel,
597-615.
·
Thursday (4/9)
o
Topic: Post WWII (Post-war
period. The Cold War. Collapse of the Communist regimes. New Wars)
o
Close reading: Sartre
o
Readings: Cunningham
& Reich (Chapter 22)
Week 15:
·
Tuesday (4/14)
o Students present
their research projects (sign up in advance!)
·
Thursday (4/16)
o Students present
their research projects (sign up in advance!)
Week 16:
o Tuesday (4/21)
o
Topic: The lessons of the
century
o
Readings: Knoebel,
pp. 616-634.
·
Thursday (4/23)
o
Topic: Art and Propaganda
o
Movie watching: Triumph of the
Will
Week 17:
·
Tuesday (4/28)
o
Library
Day: Working with sources II (Guest Lecturer: Jon Hufford, TTU Library)
Wednesday 4/29: Deadline for the submission
of the research paper (final version).
_______________________________________________________________________
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