HIST 121: Western Civilization I
Fall 2013: 3 credits
Patterson Hall 200, 9:30-10:45
| Mr Lehmann Office hours: 2-3 TTh or by appointment East Hall 210, 677-5573, clehmann@usd.edu http://clehmann.org/ |
|
Mr Bockelman (TA) |
Catalog description: SURVEYS THE EVOLUTION OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION FROM ITS BEGINNINGS INTO THE REFORMATION AND RELIGIOUS WARS. No prerequisites; no unusual technology skills required.
This is the first of a two-part survey of Western Civilization, and introduces the student to some of the leading figures, ideas, and events of the Ancient Near East and premodern Europe. The goal of this course is for the student not only to acquire historical information but also to learn through example (lectures) and practice (discussions, essays, papers) a historical/critical method of thought and expression.
In order to do well in this course students must attend all lectures and read all assignments. Many lectures involve visual material available on the instructor's Home Page. Students who expect to miss more than three meetings should see the instructor within the first week. The readings and the mini-themes on them are especially important, and should be given ample time for reading, reflection, and writing. Students should secure all on-line handouts, which contain chronological and supplemental background to the lectures and readings. A set of study questions, also available on-line, will assist the student preparing for examinations. Finally, each student must maintain a portfolio containing all written work. The portfolio will be a simple green two-pocket folder with the minithemes and exams as they are complete.
There will be a midterm exam covering parts one and two of the course; a second midterm exam covering parts three and four; and a final exam covering parts five and six. Exams consist of one long and a choice of two out of three short essay questions; the final exam includes a comprehensive essay question. Each student will write a mini-theme on a choice of suggested topics for each reading, due on the assigned date during discussion of the topics. The first midterm exam counts 50 points, the second 50, the final 75, and the mini-themes 100 points (20 points each), for a total of 275 possible points.
275-248 A
247-220 B
219-193 C
192-165 D
164- F
Students who wish to arrange another method of evaluation should see the instructor within the first two weeks. By all means consult the Top 10 Ways to Lower Your Grade in Humanities.
See the end of the syllabus for additional information concerning cheating, ADA policy, and outcomes of learning.
Each mini-theme should be between 250 and 500 words long (one to two pages), typewritten or carefully handwritten. It can earn up to 20 points as follows: 10 points for content (clarity of argument, familiarity with the work), 5 points for style (grammar, spelling, use of words), and 5 points for care in presentation. The instructors will return essays with special problems for rewriting. Try to work a week in advance; your instructors will gladly evaluate and mark up your first clean draft and return it to you for rewriting in time for the final submission.
Unless you make special arrangements in advance or have a medical or family emergency, you must participate in the discussion in order to receive credit for a given paper. Submit the paper inside your green binder.
As you read the assignments keep all the suggested topics in mind, and take notes. Then pick one topic and answer it carefully and concisely. Feel free to consult with fellow students and with your instructor as you prepare the assignments, but the result must be entirely your own. Be particularly careful to avoid plagiarism; you must give references for every idea or quotation you borrow as you construct your argument. See Turabian, Manual for Writers, for the proper way to indicate references. At the head of your paper write the title and your name and staple your sheets together.
Consult Mr Bockelman's Guidlines.
1. The Epic of Gilgamesh
a) "The Search for Immortality"
How does Gilgamesh seek to attain immortality? What experience starts him on his quest? Is he successful? What immortality does Gilgamesh at last acquire?b) "Nature and Civilization"
Focus on the character Enkidu in order to show the consequences of humanity's "fall" from a natural wild state into civilization. What is the role of the harlot in Enkidu's "fall"? What are the attributes of civilization? Is civilization a good thing? Is it inevitably at odds with nature?c) "The Flood Story"
Compare the flood story in Gilgamesh with that in the book of Genesis. Notice the similarities, but concentrate especially on differences, particularly the difference between the motivation and actions of the Mesopotamian gods and the Hebrew God.
2. Homer, Iliad, books 1-2.493, 3, 6, 9, 16, 18-19, 22-24. Consult Silverman's summary of the intervening books (or read the whole thing!) but use only the assigned sections to support your essay.
a) "The Greek Hero"
What characteristics do the heroes have? In particular contrast the heroic characterists of Achilles with those of Agamemnon.b) "Greeks Bearing Gifts"
Look at the role gift-giving plays in the story. How do relationships created by exchanging (or destroyed by withholding) gifts compare to relationships created by family or political ties?c) "The Role of the Gods"
Analyze the part the gods play in the Iliad. Are they active or passive? Are they like human beings? or more "supernatural"? Are they like or unlike the Mesopotamian and Hebrew gods?
3. Plato, Apology, Crito
a) "State and Citizen"
How does Socrates see his role in the state of Athens? Why does he, or any other citizen, owe allegiance to the state?b) "Socrates' Crime"
For what crime did Socrates stand trial? Were there hidden as well as overt charges? Do you think the jury condemned Socrates only on the charges or for other reasons as well.c) "Socratic Method"
Socrates is famous for his "Socratic questioning." How does it work? Is it a good way to establish truth, or does it rather work so as to establish ignorance? What is the effect on those whom Socrates questions?
4. Virgil, Aeneid, books 1-8
a) "The Roman Hero"
What are the actions and moral qualities that make Aeneas a hero? How does Aeneas compare to Achilles?b) "Dido and Aeneas"
Was Aeneas right or wrong to leave Dido? Was she right or wrong to react so violently? As you evaluate their actions, try to put yourself into the shoes of the ancient Roman reader.c) "Virgil and the Roman State"
How does Virgil use foreshadowing to exalt the Roman state of his own time? Isolate and comment on the specific relevant passages
5. Dante Inferno, cantos 1-11, 18-26, 32-34: background at Danteworlds
a) "Christian Heroism"
By making Virgil his guide, Dante invites the reader to compare his poem with Virgil's. Where do Virgilian (or Homeric) heroes fit in Dante's Hell? What qualities do they have that a Christian should not have?b) "The Failure of Reason"
Can you read Inferno as an indictment of reason as an antidote to the chaos, uncertainty, and meaningless of human life? To what excesses of action (or inaction) did (and does) reason lead the condemned? What should people depend on instead?
c) "Late Medieval Italy"
What do you learn about politics in Dante's Italy? Describe his attitude toward the cities, political parties, the pope, and the emperor.
Part I: Introduction
27 Aug |
How we know about the past, and why we study it
|
Part 2: The Ancient Near East [Civilizations chs 1-2]
29 Aug |
Center for Academic Engagement: Service Learning, Study Abroad, and Student Research |
3 Sept |
Writing Center presentation by Matt Thompson Prehistory and the Earliest Civilizations: writing |
5 Sept | Mesopotamian Religion |
10 Sept | Israel, Yahweh, and History |
12 Sept |
Disc: The Epic of Gilgamesh (first mini-theme due) Slides: The City of Jerusalem |
17 Sept | FIRST MIDTERM EXAMINATION |
Part 3: Greece [Civilizations chs 3-4]
19 Sept |
Chronology and the Bronze Age (handout); maps of Greece and its settlements, Greece, and Alexander's Empire; Mycenae and the tholos tomb; the Chigi vase |
24 Sept | The Homeric World |
26 Sept |
Disc: Homer's Iliad (second mini-theme due) |
1 Oct |
Early Sparta |
3 Oct | Early Athens |
8 Oct |
Athenian Democracy and Its Crises |
10 Oct |
Slides: The City of Athens Disc: The Last Days of Socrates (third mini-theme due) |
Part 4: Rome [Civilizations chs 5-6]
15 Oct |
Chronology and Rome's Origins (handout); maps of the Roman Empire, Italy, and Rome |
17 Oct | The Roman Constitution (handout on Polybius) and the Senatorial Aristocracy |
22 Oct |
Roman Imperialism |
24 Oct |
The Roman Revolution |
29 Oct |
Disc: Virgil’s Aeneid (fourth mini-theme due) |
31 Oct |
Slides: The City of Rome |
5 Nov | SECOND MIDTERM EXAMINATION |
Part 5: The Middle Ages [Civilizations chs 7-11]
7 Nov |
Chronology (handout); map of Early Medieval Europe, Charlemagne's Empire, and Late Medieval Europe |
12 Nov |
Rome and the Christians Byzantium and Islam |
14 Nov |
Medieval Society and Feudalism; map of a typical manor |
19 Nov |
Medieval Renaissances Slides: The City of Paris |
21 Nov |
Disc: Dante's Inferno (fifth mini-theme due) |
Part 6: Renaissance and Reformation [Civilizations chs 12-14]
26 Nov |
Chronology (handout); maps of World Exploration, and XVI Europe |
3 Dec |
Renaissance Humanism |
5 Dec |
The Church and Its Reformers |
10 Dec |
Slides: The City of Florence |
18 Dec |
7:30-9:30 am: FINAL EXAMINATION |
Statement of Compliance with the ADA:
Any student who feels he or she may need academic accommodations or access accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability should contact and register with Disability Services during the first week of class. Disability Services is the official office to assist students through the process of disability verification and coordination of appropriate and reasonable accommodations. Students currently registered with Disability Services must obtain a new accommodation memo each semester.
Ernetta L. Fox, Director
Disability Services, Room 119 Service Center
(605)677-6389; www.usd.edu/ds; dservices@usd.edu
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
CHEATING/PLAGIARISM POLICY
The College of Arts and Sciences considers plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty inimical to the objectives of higher education. The College supports the imposition of penalties on students who engage in academic dishonesty, as defined in the “Conduct” section of the University of South Dakota Student Handbook.
No credit can be given for a dishonest assignment. At the discretion of the instructor, a student caught engaging in any form of academic dishonesty may be:
a. Given a zero for that assignment.
b. Allowed to rewrite and resubmit the assignment for credit.
c. Assigned a reduced grade for the course.
d. Dropped from the course.
e. Failed in the course.
Adopted by vote of the faculty
12 April 2005
This class fulfills the following Goals of the South Dakota System General Education Requirements:
GOAL #4: Students will understand the diversity and complexity of the human experience through study of the arts and humanities
Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will:
In addition, as a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will be able to do at least one of the following:
Each course meeting this goal includes the following student learning outcomes: Required: #1, #2 At least one of the following: #3, #4, #5, or #6 (Credit Hours: 6 hours (in 2 disciplines or a sequence of foreign language courses))
