GNST 300 L01
Heritage of Western Civilization I: Perspective
Fall 2008/Winter 2009
T/Th 11:00-12:15

Instructor:	R. Glasberg
Office Location:	SS 328
Office Phone:	220-7124
E-Mail:	rglasber@ucalgary.ca
Office Hours:	By appointment

Additional Information

Tutorial Instructors: Lisa Stowe and Shane Halasz, who will be also be instructors of record during the second term

Course Description

Heritage I is a critical engagement with the evolving fundamental assumptions of Western Civilization from the Ancient World to the outbreak of the French Revolution (1789). The approach is strongly interdisciplinary inasmuch as the fundamental assumptions are drawn out through an analysis and synthesis of 'classic' texts from diverse fields: myth, philosophy, political theory, literature (poetry, drama, satire), economics, theology, etc. Key themes: freedom via the growth of consciousness; the creation of cultural consensus; the relationship of that consensus to deeper levels of reality; the dynamics of discourse as a way of revealing inter-textual patterns of meaning.

Objectives of the Course

(1) thinking critically about the evolving cultural assumptions of Western Civilization by confronting the underlying questions and answers articulated by classic texts;

(2) gaining a 'perspective' on the whole by learning how to create overviews of the evolution of the West through a comparative analysis of fundamental assumptions;

(3) becoming more conscious through the development of skills associated with reading, writing, discussion, critical analysis, and imaginative synthesis.

Textbooks and Readings:

Lawrence S. Cunningham and John J. Reich, Culture and Values, Vols. I & II, 6th Edition. Belmont, Calif.: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.

Karl F. Thompson, Classics of Western Thought: Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation, Vol. II, 4th Edition. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988.

Edgar E. Knoebel, Classics of Western Thought: The Modern World, Vol. III, 4th Edition. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988.

R. Glasberg, ed. GNST 300 L01 Book of Readings Fall 2008 and Winter 2009

Assignments and Evaluation

First Term:

(1) Artifact, Mirroring: 20% (Due: Oct. 21^st 2008)

(2) Christmas Exam: 25% (Registrar Scheduled)

2^nd Term:

(3) Tutorial Projects: Consensus: 10% (Various times during 2^nd Term)

Deep Reality: 10%

Edge: 10%

(4) Final Paper on C, D, E: 25% (April 14^th 2009)

Total: 100%

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: YES (Christmas)

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre. Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

(Revised, effective September 2008)

 

	Grading Scale
A+	96-100
A	90-95.99
A -	85-89.99
B+	80-84.99
B	75-79.99
B-	70-74.99
C+	65-69.99
C	60-64.99
C-	55-59.99
D+	53-54.99
D	50-52.99
F	0-49

 

Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale.  That is, A- would be converted to 87.5 for calculation purposes.  F will be converted to zero.

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research. For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

Abbreviations:

C&V,I,II = Culture and Values, Vol. I and Vol. II

CWT, II, III = Classics of Western Thought, Vol. II and Vol. III

RP = Reading Package

2008

Sept. 9 Intro

I Ancient

Sept. 11 Gilgamesh: death, meaning, and myth; C&V,I, 3-11, 30-31, 213-214

Sept. 16 Sophocles: fate; C&V,I, 71-78; 99-112

Sept. 18 Socrates & Plato: form -internal and the nature of consciousness; C&V,I, 78-80; 112-118

Sept. 23 Aristotle: form - external and the consciousness of nature; C&V,I, 118-123; RP: Aristotle

Sept. 25 Vergil: destiny; C&V,I, 127-140; 156-166

Sept. 30 Marcus Aurelius - self-sufficiency; C&V,I, 150-151; 167-169

Oct. 2 Hebrews- chosenness and valuation; C&V,I, 199-203; 214-218

Oct. 7 Christians - love; C&V,I, 203-206; 218-222; 224-227; RP: Pagels

II. Medieval:

Oct. 9 Augustine - peace; C&V,I, 231-232; 250-259

Oct. 14 Dante- hierarchy; C&V,I, 339; 351-355; 359-363; 367-389

Oct. 16 Chaucer- decline and individuality; C&V,I, 393-395; 397-398; CWT,II, 140-182

III. Early Modern:

(A) Renaissance

Oct. 21 Petrarch & Pico- creative freedom; C&V,I, 395-397; C&V,II, 3, 10-25; CWT,II, 231-262

Oct. 23 Machiavelli- political power and freedom; C&V,II, 26; CWT,II, 26-27; RP: Christine de Pisan

Oct. 28 More & Erasmus - social freedom; C&V,II, 26-27; CWT,II, 263-277; 316-328

(B) Reformation

Oct. 30 Luther & Calvin - faith and the freedom of God; C&V,II, 77-85; CWT,II, 518-534; 535-549

Nov. 4 Montaigne- skepticism; C&V,II, 85; 107-111; CWT,II, 371-387

(C) Baroque

Nov. 6 Bacon - power over nature; C&V,II, 85-86; 188-189; CWT,III, 10-19

Nov. 11 [Reading Day]

Nov. 13 Descartes - empowered reason; CWT,III, 20-30

Nov. 18 Hobbes - rational power; C&V,II, 191-192; CWT,III, 31-42

Nov. 20 Pascal - existentialism; C&V,II, 159-161; CWT,III, 43-58

(D) Enlightenment

Nov. 25 Swift & Pope - cynicism and hope; C&V,II, 221-222; 238-243; 251-254; CWT,III, 83-94

Nov. 27 Smith - rational prosperity; CWT,III, 166-177

Dec. 2 Condorcet - techno-culture; C&V,II, 243-246; 178-201

Dec. 4 Review

Dec. 8-17 Exams

2009

Jan. 13 Prep for presentations: General & Overview of 2^nd term Readings

Jan. 15 Prep for presentations: Consensus

Jan. 20 Prep for presentations: Deep Reality

Jan 22 Prep for presentations: Edge

Jan. 27 Open Discussion: Issues and Questions

Jan. 29: Tutorial # 1 [Commentary by #5] #2 [Commentary by #6] on Consensus (i.e., C)

Feb. 3: #3 [7] #4 [8] on C

Feb. 5: #5 [9] #6 [10] on C

Feb. 10: #7 [1] #8 [2] on C

Feb. 12: #9 [3] #10 [4] on C

Feb. 15-21 - Reading Break

Feb. 24: Summary Session & Preview

Feb. 26: #1 [7] #2 [8] on Deep Reality (i.e., D)

Mar. 3: #3 [9] #4 [10] on D

Mar. 5: #5 [1] #6 [2] on D

Mar 10: #7 [3] #8 [4] on D

Mar 12: #9 [5] #10 [6] on D

Mar 17: Summary Session & Preview

Mar 19: #1 [9] #2 [10] on Edge (i.e., E)

Mar 24: #3 [1] #4 [2] on E

Mar 26: #5 [3] #6 [4] on E

Mar 31: #7 [5] #8 [6] on E

Apr.2: #9 [7] #10 [8] on E

Apr. 7: Summary Session & Open Forum on Final Project: Essay on C, D, and E links

Apr. 9: 2^nd Forum on Final Project

Apr. 14 Conclusion: Hand in Final Project

Apr. 16: Feedback Forum

Assignments (Summary):

First Term:

(1) Artefact, Mirroring: 20%

(2) Christmas Exam: 25%

2^nd Term:

(3) Tutorial Projects:

Consensus: 10%

Deep Reality: 10%

Edge: 10%

(4) Final Paper on C, D, E: 25%

Total: 100%

Detailed Discussion:

(1) First Essay:

Due: Oct. 21^st

Length: 5-6 pages double-spaced

Goal: Pick a text from before Oct. 21^st, show how it embodies FCA of its time, then show how it is mirrored in some current cultural artefact (e.g., ad, piece of music, game, TV show, toy, clothing, etc.); mirroring is subtle since mirrors can reflect in a distorting and/or a non-distorting way; task is to explore ‘distortion' and suggest how that entails a shift in FCA

(2) Christmas Exam: Scheduled by registrar; 3 hours

Objective part (20%) & 2 essays (40% + 40%); will be handed out in advance; questions will focus on overviews of time span of Western Civ and themes outlined above: death, fate, internal, external, destiny, self-sufficiency, decline, ‘chosenness', love, faith, peace, hierarchy creativity, freedom, skepticism, rationalism, existentialism, and ‘technologism'.

(3) Tutorial Projects:

Presentations (20-30 minutes) due as per outline above.

Written part to include response to criticisms, which are offered by all members of tutorial indicated in square bracket beside presenters and to be done within 24 hours of presentation (one paragraph max.); final report within one week to give time to respond to criticisms

Tutorial gets joint mark unless reason can be shown that certain individuals have been shirking

(10% for each of 3 projects = 30%)

Each tutorial tackles readings associated with 3 essential themes: (a) consensus, (b) deep or ultimate reality, and (c) edge or boundary between consensus and deep reality; therefore each tutorial will do 3 presentations to whole class and imaginativeness or engaging quality of presentation does count

(A) With respect to consensus, report-presentation will seek to answer questions:

(1) nature and evolution of gender and class relations

(2) nature and evolution of educative protocols

(3) ‘myths' used to control masses or mass control mechanisms and their evolution

(4) structures of positive and negative valuation and how these evolve

Relevant Readings: Homer, Sappho. Roland, DeTroyes, Heloise, Christine de Pisan, Boccaccio, Cereta, Shakespeare, Beccaria, Everyman, Aquinas, Galileo, Locke (Essay), Rousseau, Wollstonecraft (& perhaps some from first term)

Key: Homer, Roland, Everyman, Shakespeare, Christine de Pisan

(B) With respect to deep reality:

(1) nature of that reality with respect to internality/externality

(2) how it is known

(3) proper & improper relation to consensus

(4) how any of these evolve and how related to FCAs

Relevant Readings: Novak, Job, Prophets, Pagels, Paul, Bendedict, Hroswitha, Hildegard, Catherine, Julian, Ignatius (and perhaps some from first term)

Key: Plato, Jesus, Augustine, St. Catherine, Galileo, Pascal, Milton

(C) With respect to edge, one is dealing with texts associated with criticizing consensus or relating deep reality to the consensus; questions to be answered are:

(1) evolving nature of critique of system: what is wrong with consensus system

(2) suggestions for improvement of consensus system

(3) possibility of improving relationship to deeper reality

Relevant Readings: Juvenal, Kramer & Sprenger, Vignali, Cervantes, Poullain de la Barre, Locke (Civil Government), Astell, Voltaire (and perhaps some readings from first term)

Key: Socrates, Juvenal, Swift, Poullain de la Barre, Voltaire

When a report is presented, the students in the tutorial listed in square brackets are to send a paragraph on Blackboard to the appropriate ‘address' given by the TAs and offer constructive criticism as to how well the presentation went and what questions you might still want them (the presenters) to answer. The paragraph is due within 24 hours and the final report including a response to the criticisms is due within one week (max. 10 days). Reports should not exceed 12 pages.

(4) Final Paper:

Due on April 14^th: approx. 12 typed pages (double-spaced)

This paper is a kind of summary of the course, where each student will respond to the following with relevant textual support:

"Western Civilization in its evolution has lost any connection with deeper levels of reality and masks its sense of emptiness with the addictive distractions of power and pleasure. Critique is impotent when educational protocols are committed to reinforcing a cultural consensus characterized by shallowness."

Afterword:

To help come to grips with the course, the following concepts should be kept in mind as the focal points of your study:

Fundamental Cultural Assumptions (FCAs): The often unconscious principles by which most individuals in a given culture perceive the world. This includes how reality is conceived at its most basic or fundamental levels and the purposes for which we live our lives.

Classic Texts: Those writings wherein fundamental cultural assumptions are articulated most clearly. More mundane cultural artifacts also indicate FCAs. Interpretation is the way in which FCAs are ‘teased out', and an individual or culture becomes more conscious to the extent that there is awareness of and debate upon FCAs.

Consensus: What every one agrees upon in practice (rather than theory) with respect to the nature of reality and how our lives should be run. This includes the accepted divisions in society, the principles by which things are valued, etc. The difference between principles of consensus and FCAs is noteworthy. Whereas the latter may, for example, entail a standard of righteousness (e.g., Christian love as articulated in the classic text of the Bible), the former may allow for pragmatic deviations from that standard.

Deep Reality: Sometimes known as ultimate reality, this concept expresses what we take to be the foundation of existence. Examples are: atoms, God, spirit, Platonic forms, etc. This is a sub-category of FCAs and may be grasped at popular or esoteric levels. Inevitably we must base our way of living in the world on how we understand the nature of that world. A key aspect of human discourse is articulating the relationship of everyday or immediate reality to that which is accepted as ultimate. Moreover, the ultimate functions as the frontier of knowledge, a frontier which we continually explore in pursuit of truth.

Edge: This is the space of discourse or human discussion that exists at the boundary or limit of the consensus. It is the place of criticism of the dysfunctions that characterize a given culture. Here failures to live up to ‘deep reality' principles or values are pointed out. If the criticism is too far out, texts from the edge may be dismissed or ignored; but when they hit home, the society may be changed for the better.