General Studies (GNST) 300 - Lecture 20
Heritage of Western Civilization I: Perspective
Spring 2008
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 14:00-17:20 SH 262

Statutory Holiday (no classes): Monday, May 19, 2008
Reading Day (no classes): Thursday, June 5, 2008

 

 

Instructor:	Rebecca Carruthers Den Hoed
Office Location:	SS 209
Office Phone:	n/a
E-Mail:	rcarruth@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	www.blackboard.ucalgary.ca
Office Hours:	MTWR 13:00-14:00

Additional Information

I can be contacted via email at any time. However, please allow up to 24 hours for a response. Further, I will not answer any emails sent after 16:30 the day prior to a weekend until the next regular school day. It is inadvisable to leave assignment questions to the last minute.

Cell phones must be turned off during class. 



Laptops may be used curing class to take notes or view class related content. However, inappropriate use of laptops (i.e. to view non-class related content) will not be tolerated and may result in confiscation of the laptop until the end of class time.

Questions with respect to assignments are welcome anytime, and I will gladly look at drafts for students. However, I will not correct drafts; rather, I will identify the most problematic elements of the document and help provide the student(s) with tools to effect their own corrections. It is helpful if you come to such a meeting with a question about your draft already prepared.

Students are responsible for lecture attendance and course readings. If lectures or readings are missed, students must make their own arrangements to catch up.

Course Description

Heritage I is a critical engagement with some of the ideas considered to be "foundational" to Western Civilization (focusing on ideas drawn from the Ancient World through to the Enlightenment). The course is strongly interdisciplinary insofar as it endeavors to draw out the fundamental cultural assumptions of 'classic' texts from diverse fields: myth, philosophy, political theory, literature, economics, theology, among others.

Ultimately, the course is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and Western society while studying the mythical traditions, historical customs, philosophical schools, and literary works of Western Civilization. Our lives are, in part, defined by what has gone on before us; we are influenced by the past whether or not we know it; so we might as well know it. Even if we (or our parents) were not born in "the West," our lives are defined by Western traditions by virtue of the fact that we now live (and study) in "the West." By examining the texts that Western society considers exemplary, we can gain insight into the Western legacies we've inherited and how these legacies shape our own lives (whether we resist them, embrace them, or struggle somewhere in between).

Students are expected to prepare for and contribute in class by reading, thinking, researching, and questioning. Discussion will be encouraged in class in an atmosphere where different ideas and beliefs are treated with respect even while being debated. Student participation in class discussion is crucial to understanding the course material.

Students are expected to have finished the assigned readings before attending class, and lectures will be much easier to follow if students have completed the readings in advance. For each class, students will be expected to have a general comprehension of the cultural era and specific texts under discussion (see the schedule of lectures/readings below).

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 the fundamental cultural assumptions articulated by classic texts;



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

Textbooks and Readings

(1) Cunningham, L.S. & Reich, J.J. (2006). Culture and Values, Volume I: A Survey of the Humanities. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.


(2) Cunningham, L.S. & Reich, J.J. (2006). Culture and Values, Volume II: A Survey of the Humanities. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.


(3) Select online readings (available for viewing & downloading via the course website: http://www.blackboard.ucalgary.ca/).

Note: Do not buy the "Alternate Edition" of Culture and Values instead of "Volume I" and "Volume II"; the "Alternate Edition" does not contain the required readings for the course.

Assignments and Evaluation

Quizzes            (20%)              May 20, 26, 29, June 9, 16, 19
                                                (best 5 of 6 @ 4% each)

Midterm            (20%)              June 3

Final                (20%)              June 27, 28 and 30 (exam period)

Essay #1            (10%)              June 2

Essay #2            (20%)              June 23

Presentation            (10%)              May 19-June 25

All assignments must be completed to get credit for the course.

A+ will be awarded for work of exceptional originality, depth, and intellectual rigor.

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your 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.

Digital submission of some assignments will be allowed in this course: you may submit Essay #1, Essay #2, and/or your Presentation script/visuals via the digital dropbox or email; only (.doc), (.ppt), and (.pdf) files will be accepted. The deadline to submit these assignments via the digital dropbox or email is MIDNIGHT on the due date. Illegible files will not be considered "submitted" until the student has re-submitted the file in a legible format.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination:  Yes

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.

Both APA style and MLA style are acceptable in this course. Please choose one style (APA or MLA), learn how to use it, and stick with it. Failure to document sources properly using one of these styles may be penalized with the loss of a letter grade (e.g.: from A- to B+), even if the documentation in question does not lead to outright plagiarism.

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:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

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

Most readings can be found in Culture & Values: A Survey of the Western Humanities Vols. I & II, 6^th edition. The exceptions are marked with an asterisk (*), and are available online via the course website.

Students are encouraged to complete as many of the assigned readings as possible before the course begins. A lot of reading is required in the course, and students will be expected to make every effort to keep up! Be sure to annotate readings with questions and comments, which can be discussed in class.

Date	Lectures and Readings
Wednesday, May 14	INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE QUIZ #1 (PRE-SESSION) Chapter 1: The Beginnings of Civilization The Epic of Gilgamesh Chapter 2: Early Greece
Thursday, May 15	Homer: Iliad Sappho: Alone; Seizure; To Eros; The Virgin; Age and Light Heraclitus & Permenides: fragments Chapter 3: Classical Greece Sophocles: Oedipus the King
Monday, May 19	VICTORIA DAY (no classes)
Tuesday, May 20	QUIZ #2 Plato: Apology; Phaedo; Republic Aristotle: The Nicomachean Ethics; The Politics (*)
Wednesday, May 21	Chapter 4: The Roman Legacy Vergil: Aeneid Aurelius: The Meditations Juvenal: Third Satire
Thursday, May 22	DISCUSSION OF ESSAY #1 Chapter 6: Jerusalem and Early Christianity Genesis; Job; Exodus; Amos The Talmud (*) Jewish Mysticism (*)
Monday, May 26	QUIZ #3 Chapter 6: Jerusalem and Early Christianity (cont'd) Matthew; Acts; Corinthians The Gospel of Thomas (*) The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity
Tuesday, May 27	Chapter 7: Byzantium Augustine: Confessions; The City of God Benedict: The Rule of Benedict (*) Chapter 8: Islam Qur'an The Hadith (*)
Wednesday, May 28	Chapter 9: Charlemagne and The Rise of Medieval Culture Everyman Song of Roland Hroswitha: The Conversion of the Harlot Thais De Troyes Lancelot
Thursday, May 29	QUIZ #4 Chapter 10: The High Middle Ages Heloise: Letter to Abelard (*) Dante Alighieri: The Divine Comedy Aquinas: Summa Theologica
Monday, June 2	ESSAY #1 DUE REVIEW WORKSHOP
Tuesday, June 3	MIDTERM
Wednesday, June 4	Chapter 11: The 14th Century Boccaccio: Decameron Petrarch: My Secret (*) Catherine of Siena: The Dialogue (*)
Thursday, June 5	READING DAY
Monday, June 9	QUIZ #5 DISCUSSION OF ESSAY #2 Chaucer: Canterbury Tales Christine de Pisan: Book of the City of Ladies   Julian of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love (*)
Tuesday, June 10	Chapter 12: Early Renaissance Pico: Oration on the Dignity of Man (*) Cereta: Defense of the Liberal Instruction of Women; Against Women Who Disparage Learned Women Krämer & Sprenger: Malleus Malificarum (*)
Wednesday, June 11	More: Utopia (*) Erasmus: The Praise of Folly; Letter to Thomas More (*) Machiavelli: The Prince Chapter 13: The High Renaissance in Italy Vignali: La Cazzaria (*)
Thursday, June 12	Chapter 14: The Renaissance in the North Luther: Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (*) Calvin: The Institutes of the Christian Religion (*) Ignatius: Spiritual Exercises (*)
Monday, June 16	QUIZ #6 Shakespeare: Othello (*) Montaigne: "Of Cannibals"
Tuesday, June 17	Chapter 15: The Baroque World Cervantes: Don Quixote Milton: Paradise Lost
Wednesday, June 18	Galileo: Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina (*) Bacon: Novum Organum (*) Descartes: Discourse on Method (*)
Thursday, June 19	QUIZ #7 Locke: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding; Of Civil Government (*) Hobbes: Leviathan
Monday, June 23	ESSAY #2 DUE Chapter 16: The 18th Century Swift: A Modest Proposal Voltaire: Candide
Tuesday, June 24	Pope: "Essay on Man" Rousseau: On Education (*) Smith: The Wealth of Nations (*)
Wednesday, June 25	Beccaria: On Crimes and Punishments (*) Condorcet: The Progress of the Human Mind (*) Wollstonecraft: The Vindication of the Rights of Woman (*)
Thursday, June 26	REVIEW WORKSHOP
June 27-30	FINAL (scheduled during exam period)

 

 

Note: Many thanks to Dr. Husby-Scheelar and Dr. Glasberg for their ideas regarding this course outline, suggested readings, and assignments. Many thanks to Paul Kennett for his focused guidelines regarding email, assignment drafts, lecture attendance, and cellphone-/laptop-use in class.