Western Humanities 220 (19)

Western Humanities 220 (19) Fall Semester 2007, MWF 11:30-12:40 Milne 105 Instructor: Dr. Jane Fowler Morse Office: South Hall 221C Office Phone: 245-5381 Home Phone: 243-3046 (but please do not call after 9:00 PM) Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday 3-4:30 (note: I may have meetings called during some of these hours), or by appointment. Email: [email protected] (I answer emails after 5 PM. Please put the words Humn 220 in the subject line of your email (you may add other words after these).

Western Humanities will acquaint students with some classics of western thought that grapple with general issues involved in living a good human life. We will examine ethical principles that inform individual choice, political theories that enable human beings to achieve a fulfilling life as members of a community, and ideas concerning human beings’ place in the cosmos. We will place these ideas in their historical context.

The course consists of a number of primary source readings (see schedule of readings) and a secondary source for background by Marvin Perry, Western Civilization: A Brief History, Vol. 1 (see schedule of readings for related background chapters in Perry). I expect you to do the background reading in preparation for each primary text and to understand the historical context of each reading. I expect you to come to class with the readings prepared, ready to participate in a lively and informed discussion of important issues raised by the texts. Bring your book for the current reading to class, since you will be required to refer to pages in the text during discussions. Your participation grade will be based on my assessment of your preparation and participation in these discussions.

Since the goal of this course is for you to examine ideas important to every human being, I will create opportunities for you to conduct discussions with your peers of the issues raised by the primary texts. To do so well, you need to undertake a twofold task. First, you need to know what the author of the text in question says and what that means. Second, to evaluate the significance of the text, you need to ask yourself what I call the “so-what” question, which come in different forms: “ So, what difference did this idea make? What is its significance for human life? How did these ideas affect western civilization? What difference do they make to the way we think of our place in the grand scheme of things?” Either part of the twofold task is incomplete without the other. On the one hand, merely knowing what the author says does not allow ideas to have an impact on your life. On the other hand, discussing the significance of ideas without having a good grasp of what those ideas are trivializes them. To be ready for discussion, read the week’s assignments before the week begins. The historical background is also important because all writings are influenced by the context in which their authors lived. To facilitate discussion, bring the book under discussion with you to class each day. I will frequently ask you to look at specific passages in class.

Although I do not assign the introductions and other materials in the texts specifically, I expect you to read them! They are often very helpful in comprehending the material.

1 Although the course is Western Humanities, with readings drawn from the Western intellectual tradition, I invite you to think of possible parallels and oppositions drawn from other cultures. We will think about what is universal about the human experience and what is customary in different traditions, as far as we are able within the confines of the class.

You will write two essays (I will assign three topics of which you choose two) during the course of the semester. Late papers will not be accepted without a prior agreement with me regarding the circumstances. I will be happy to consult with you on your paper if you make an appointment to go over a solidly written draft earlier than four days before your paper is due (depending on availability of office hours). There will be two hour exams and a final examination. All examinations will be essay exams. I may give unannounced quizzes to keep you on your toes, so please come to class prepared! There will be no make-ups for such quizzes. I will post eight surveys on the internet to check your comprehension of the background material, of which you are required to do five. These will only remain open until the end of the week they are due. They will not be graded per se, but completion will count towards your participation grade. In order to accommodate the needs the class, we may deviate from the announced syllabus from time to time. I have made assignments by the week rather than by the class period to reflect this flexibility. Your class attendance is important: first, to absorb and discuss the materials; second, to be sure you know the current topics and assignments; third, to do homework or group work assignments from time to time, which counts towards class participation on your grade; and finally, to participate. Required Texts: (Note: It will be important to you to have the right translation and the same pagination as other class members! Be sure to purchase the correct edition. I have added dates of the original text in parentheses to give you a sense of the chronology of the readings.)

Primary Texts:

The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version. Meridian Books: New York, 1974. (dates of books vary widely)

The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet XI, The Story of the Flood, available online at http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/ for background on Gilgamesh see http://novaonline.nv.cc.va.us/eli/eng251/gilgameshstudy.htm The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by N.K. Sandars is also available from Penguin Classics, 1960. The Epic was widely known during the third millennium BC, 3000-2000 BCE.

Aeschylus. The Oresteia, translated by Paul Roche. Meridian Books: New York, 1962. (458 BCE)

Plato. Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, translated by G.M.A. Grube. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.: Indianapolis, Indiana, 1981. (Socrates’ death: 399 BCE) (We will read three (Euthyphro, Apology, Crito) of these. They are also available on line at http://oll.libertyfund.org/Home3/Book.php?recordID=0131.02

2 Aristotle. The Nichomachean Ethics. Book I, Chapter 1-7; Book II, Chapters 1-6; Book III, Chapters 1-5. Excerpted version available in the Outbox and full version on line at: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html (Aristotle, 384-322 BCE)

Thucydides. On Justice, Power, and Human Nature: Selections from the History of the Peloponnesian War, translated by Paul Woodruff. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.: Indianapolis, Indiana, 1993. (Thucydides, b.424, d.404 BCE)

Juvenal. The Satires of Juvenal, translated by Rolfe Humphries. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1958. (Juvenal b.55 AD, d.138 AD)

Boethius. The Consolation of Philosophy, translated by Richard Green. Macmillan, Library of Liberal Arts: New York, 1962. Also available online at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/boethius/boethius.html (Boethius b. c. 480, d. c. 425v or 526) The Consolation was written c. 524 AD)

Poems of Rumi, “Be Lost in the Call,” “Look! This is Love,” “Mystic Ode 833,” “I died from minerality,” (and others of your choice) available on line at http://www.khamush.com/poems.html (Rumi b.1207, d. 1273); For background on Rumi, see http://www.khamush.com/life.html

More. Utopia, translated by Clarence H. Miller. Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2002. (originally published 1516)

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Norton Critical Edition. WW Norton & Co., 2004 (originally published 1623)

Cesaire, Aime, A Tempest, Translated by Richard Miller. TGG Translations: New York, 2002. (originally published 1969)

Required Secondary Text: Perry, Marvin. Western Civilization: A Brief History. Volume I To 1879. Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin: Boston and New York, 2004. (Older editions will do, but you will be responsible for differences.) (I leave two copies of the fourth edition outside my office for your use.)

3 Table of Readings and due dates for Hum 220, Fall 2006 Date: Topic: Reading: For background and surveys on Weeks 1-8 read Perry, Chapter 3 Week One, Aug. 27-31 Introduction to The Agamemnon Humanities; Aeschylus, The Oresteia Monday, September 3, Labor Day No Classes Week Two, Sept. 5-7 Aeschylus (cont.) The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides Week Three, Sept. 10-14 Plato, Five Dialogues The Euthyphro Week Four, Sept. 17-21 Plato (cont.) The Apology; The Crito Week Five, Sept. 24-28 Aristotle, Nicomachean Nicomachean Ethics, Books Ethics (excepts posted in I, II, and III outbox) Week Six, Oct. 1-5 Thucydides On Justice, Aristotle, Book III; Power, and Human Thucydides, Chapters 1, 2, Nature and 3 Fall Break, October 8-9, (No classes Monday and Tuesday) First Hour Exam (Covers weeks 1-6) Wednesday, Oct. 10, Bring Blue Books and pens Week Seven, Oct. 10-12 Thucydides, Chapters 4-6 Week Eight, Oct.15-19 Thucydides (cont.) Chapters 7, 8 Paper Topic 1 due in my office, Friday, Oct. 19, by 5 PM For background and surveys on Week 9, read Perry, Chapters 1, 2 Week Nine, Oct. 22-26 The Bible (Old Testament Genesis, Exodus 19-24; selections); The Hosea, Amos, and Jonah; Gilgamesh Epic Gilgamesh, Tablet XI, selections online For background and surveys on week 10, read Perry, Chapter 4 Week Ten, Oct 29- Nov. 2 Juvenal The Satires of Juvenal For background and surveys on Week 11, read Perry, Chapter 5 Week Eleven, Nov. 5-9 The Bible (New Testament The Gospel according to selections) Mark; Romans Second Hour Exam (Covers weeks 7-11) Friday, Nov. 9, Bring Blue Books and pens Paper Topic 2 due at my office Monday, Nov. 12, by 5 PM Week Twelve, Nov. 12-16 Boethius The Consolation of Philosophy For background and surveys on Weeks 12, 13 read Perry Chapters, 6, 7 Week Thirteen, Nov. 19 Rumi; read More over Selected Poems; Utopia break Thanksgiving Break, Nov. 21-25 (No classes Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)

For background and surveys on Weeks 14, 15 read Perry, Chapter 8 Week Fourteen, Nov. 26-30 More; Shakespeare Utopia; The Tempest Paper Topic 3 due in my office Friday, Nov. 30 by 5 PM Week Fifteen, Dec. 3-7 Shakespeare, Cesaire The Tempest; A Tempest

4 Week Sixteen, Dec. 10 Cesaire (cont.); wrap up A Tempest and review Study Day, December 11 Final Examination: Friday, Dec. 14, 12-3 PM Grading: Graded components of this course include two essays, two hour exams, class participation (based on participating in whole class discussion and small group discussion and quizzes) and a final examination, weighted in the following percentages:

Two papers 30% (15% each) Two hour exams 30% (15% each) Participation 10% Surveys 5% Final 25%

Scale of final letter grades: A 94-100% A- 90-93% B+ 87-89% B 84-86% B- 80-83% C+ 77-79% C 74-76% C- 70-73% D 66-69% E 65% and below.

I calculate all grades by a spreadsheet, rounding up from .5 and down from .4 on each assignment. To calculate final grades, I weight and add percentages and assign letter grades according to the chart above. Please consult me immediately after receiving each graded assignment if you wish to discuss the grade. We will frequently be working on discussion questions in groups in class. If you are not here, or you have not read the assignment, you cannot participate. Since your participation counts for a hefty 10% of your grade, attendance and preparation will be important.

You will be responsible for picking up handouts (mostly discussion questions on the readings) from my outbox. To access outboxes go to http://boxes.geneseo.edu/, then select Education, then select jfmorse, then select Hum 220. All discussion questions, overheads, assignments, syllabus, etc. will be loaded into the outbox. Whenever I add something new to the outbox, I will inform you by email. Surveys on background material will be posted prior to the week whose readings they accompany and closed at the end of that week or period. There will be one survey for each assigned Chapter in Perry. It is your responsibility to do them in a timely fashion.

Be careful not to commit plagiarism in your papers; I check. For a definition of plagiarism, see the Undergraduate Bulletin at http://bulletin.geneseo.edu/first/? pg=01_Student_Affairs_policies.html. If you are uncertain whether your paper is properly cited,

5 please see me with an early draft at least three days before the paper is due. If your paper is plagiarized, I will follow college policy described in the above section of the Bulletin.