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The Honors College
TR 12.30-1.50pm
Classroom: AD250
Costica Bradatan
Office: McClellan 202A
Office Hours: TR: 11.30am-12.30pm & 03.30pm-04.00pm; W: 01.00pm-04.00pm
Office Phone: (806) 742-0036 (ext 248)
Email: costica.bradatan@ttu.edu
Webpage: http://www.webpages.ttu.edu/cbradata/
Course Description:
In this interdisciplinary seminar we will consider several works of fiction from the point of view of their philosophical content: Albert Camus’ The Stranger, Lev Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Illych, Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. A special attention will be paid to the overlap between philosophy and literature and, in particular, to the specific narrative, rhetorical and stylistic modalities through which a work of fiction can nourish and convey a philosophical message. The understanding of these works will be enriched through viewing of like-minded art films.
Course Rationale:
One fundamental presupposition of this course is that philosophy is to be found not only in philosophy books, but also in other places, such as works of fiction. Consequently, it invites/challenges students to learn how to detect a philosophical content in non-philosophical situations, how to recognize a philosophical problem when this is presented in a narrative form, or, in general, when it is displayed using stylistic modalities that are not practiced anymore by today’s philosophers (parables, fables, poems, etc.). Another fundamental supposition on which this course is based is that the works of fiction are not confined to the specific study of literary scholars, but they have to be seen as open, multi-facetious, meaningful in a variety of ways and useful for a variety of purposes.
Course Learning Objectives:
HONS 1301-H03 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:
· Perform textual analysis of a literary work with a philosophical content (the text)
· Point to significant connections between such a work and the cultural/intellectual environment of its author (the historical context)
· Articulate an interdisciplinary understanding of such a work (the interdisciplinary approach to the text)
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 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:
· Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (Harper, 2004; ISBN: 0060535261)
· Camus, Albert The Stranger (Vintage, 1989; ISBN: 0679720200)
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 philosophical-literary (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.
Theme I: Individual (Camus’ The Stranger)
Week 1:
· Tuesday (8/26)
o Topics: Introduction. Overview of the course.
o Discussion: The use of literature for life
· Thursday (8/28)
o Topics: Introducing The Stranger; the author’s background; major philosophical topics in the novel; Camus the writer – Camus the philosopher
o Close reading: Camus
o Reading: Camus, pp. v-39
Week 2:
· Tuesday (9/2)
o Topics: meaninglessness of life; what makes us who we are; anatomy of the absurd; indifference and cynicism
o Small-group discussion: The many faces of indifference
o Reading: Camus, pp. 40-71
· Thursday (9/4)
o Topics: What is a Library and how can it help you (I)? (Guest Lecturer: Sandy River, TTU Library)
o Reading: Camus, pp. 72-97
Week 3:
· Tuesday (9/9)
o Movie watching: Distant (2002; Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
o Reading: Camus, pp. 98-123
· Thursday (9/11)
o Topic: Alienation
o In-class writing exercise: The stranger c’est moi
Theme II: Death (Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich)
Week 4:
· Tuesday (9/16)
o Topics: Introducing The Death of Ivan Ilyich; the author’s background; major philosophical topics in the novel; Tolstoy as a philosopher
o Close reading: Tolstoy
o Readings: Tolstoy, pp. 1-29
· Thursday (9/18)
o Movie watching: The Barbarian Invasions (2003; Dir. Denys Arcand)
o Readings: Tolstoy, pp. 31-62
Deadline!
Submission of the topic for the research paper.
Week 5:
· Tuesday (9/23)
o Topic: Dying
o Small-group discussion: Portrayals of death in Tolstoy and The Barbarian Invasions
o Readings: Tolstoy, pp. 63-113
· Thursday (9/25)
o Topic: Understanding the un-understandable
o In-class writing exercise: Writing (about) death
o Readings: Kundera, pp. 3-61
Theme III: Society (Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
Week 6:
· Tuesday (9/30)
o Topics: Introducing The Unbearable Lightness of Being; the author’s background; major philosophical topics in the novel; the mix of genres in the novel.
o Close reading: Kundera
o Readings: Kundera, pp. 62-127
· Thursday (10/2)
o Movie watching: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988; Dir. Philip Kaufman)
o Readings: Kundera, pp. 131-189
Week 7:
· Tuesday (10/7)
o Topics: Irony and totalitarianism; melancholy; Nietzsche; philosophy of history in the novel; the quest for meaning
o Small-group discussion: Underground existence
o Readings: Kundera, pp. 189-252
· Thursday (10/9)
o Movie watching: Kolja (1996; Dir. Jan Sverak )
o Readings: Kundera, pp. 253-314
Theme IV: Tyranny of the Good (Orwell’ Nineteen eighty-four)
Week 8:
· Tuesday (10/14)
o Topics: Introducing 1984; the author’s background; major philosophical topics in the novel; Orwell as visionary writer; literature as prophecy .
o Close reading: Orwell
o Readings: Orwell, pp. vii-49
· Thursday (10/16)
o Movie watching: The Lives of Others (2006; Dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
o Readings: Orwell, pp. 49-119
Week 9:
· Tuesday (10/21)
o Topics: Goldstein’s philosophy: Ignorance is strength; war is peace; slavery is freedom
o Close reading: Orwell
o Readings: Orwell, pp. 119-183
Deadline!
Submission of first draft of the research paper.
· Thursday (10/23)
o Topics: What is a Library and how can it help you (II)? (Guest Lecturer: Sandy River, TTU Library)
o Readings: Orwell, pp. 183
Week 10:
· Tuesday (10/28)
o Topic: The political production of truth; Orwell’s radical pragmatism
o Small-group discussion: what does “2+2=5” mean?
o Readings: Orwell, pp. 183-250
· Thursday (10/30)
o Movie watching: Burnt by the Sun (1995; Dir. Nikita Mikhalkov)
o Readings: Orwell, pp. 250-337
Theme V: The reinvention of the human (Huxley’s Brave New World)
Week 11:
· Tuesday (11/4)
o Topics: Introducing Brave New World; the author’s background; major philosophical topics in the novel.
o Close reading: Huxley
o Readings: Huxley, pp. vii-50
· Thursday (11/6)
o Movie watching: Fahrenheit 451 ()
o Readings: Huxley, pp. 51-115
Week 12:
· Tuesday (11/11)
o Topics: Social engineering; technological utopias; happiness as obligation; programming humans; is there such a thing as a human nature?
o Close reading: Huxley
o Readings: Huxley, pp. 116-169
· Thursday (11/13)
o Movie viewing: Minority Report (2003; Dir. Steven Spielberg)
o Readings: Huxley, pp. 170-231
Week 13:
· Tuesday (11/18)
o Students present their research projects (sign up in advance!)
· Thursday (11/20)
o Students present their research projects (sign up in advance!)
Week 14:
· Tuesday (11/25)
o Students present their research projects (sign up in advance!)
Thanksgiving Break
Week 15:
· Tuesday (12/2)
o Working with sources (Guest Lecturer: Sandy River, TTU Library)
Wednesday 12/3: Deadline for the submission of the research paper (final version).
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