II. Catalog Description: The Western Humanities Tradition: An exploration and analysis of major ideas and questions in the humanities, as these have been expressed in works from the ancient past to the modern world. A student cannot have credit for both this course and HON 251. Prerequisite: ENG 104, or 105 or equivalent.
III. Humanities Objectives:
1. Engage in critical analysis of presented material,
2. Demonstrate a familiarity with the world's historical, literary, philosophical, and artistic traditions
3. Critically analyze a variety of literary and philosophical works;
4. Communicate ideas effectively, and
5. Demonstrate the ability to make informed ethical choices.
IV. Course Objectives: Upon completion of HUM 211, students should be able to:
1. recognize how literature and philosophy differently engage the world;
2. apply significant philosophical and literary terms in discussing texts and ideas;
3. demonstrate familiarity with significant literary and philosophical traditions;
4. analyze a literary text to arrive at meaning;
5. understand the problem, theory, and reasoning in a philosophical text;
6. apply a philosophical perspective to a literary text;
7. write thesis-driven essays synthesizing literature and philosophy to address cultural and intellectual issues.
V. Course Outline: The course readings are divided into three units:
The Ancient World
The Middle Period
The Early Modern Period.
VI. Instructional Activities: Class activities include discussion of readings and background lectures.
VII. Field, Clinical, and/or Laboratory Experiences: Films and forums are provided. Students are encouraged to use the world and the Internet as their laboratory as well.
VIII. Resources: Students may use computers to surf the Internet and to type their papers.
Students are encouraged to communicate with the professor via e-mail about their papers and attendance.
IX. Grading Procedures: There will be 1 exam, both essay and objective, plus 2 typed papers, at least 750 words, on interpretive, analytic, or comparative topics. All essays must be written on at least one assigned Humanities work.
Extra papers, including major overhauls of poor essays, may be handed in for extra credit. All essays must be revised.
Satisfactory minor revisions will get a check, more extensive revisions a check plus or double plus. Each paper and exam will be counted equally. This unit is 75% of the grade.
Quizzes and optional extra-credit assignments, such as written evidence of attendance at previously approved university and community events, count a total of 10%. Each quiz and piece of written evidence will count 10 points towards the 10%. Alternatives to missed quizzes may be handed in provided the absences are excused and the professor approves.
The final exam, both essay and objective, counts 15%.
Essay grades are based on style, content, organization, spelling and grammatical accuracy, handling of any appropriate research material, as well as promptness. Papers late without excuse will be marked down one step of a grade (e.g., A to A-, B+, etc.) for each class period after the due date.)
Papers that are too short must be augmented to the proper length and then will be marked down one step of a letter grade for each class period after the original due date. Papers and exam essays not on the assigned works or topics will not be graded.
A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, E=0-59
Students must complete all the work to receive a passing grade in the course.
X. Attendance Policy: Regular class attendance is vital to academic success.
The official Humanities absence policy will be enforced. The course grade will be lowered one-third of a letter grade for each unexcused absence over three. To avoid the grade penalty, students must offer plausible excuses, preferably authorized written ones, whenever they miss classes. All students must be aware that missing more than 25% of scheduled class sessions (10 classes) without excuse will result in automatic failure of the course.
XI. Academic Honesty Policy: Students are responsible for following the College of Humanistic Studies policy on academic integrity.
"Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person's material as one's own or doing work for another person which will receive academic credit) are all impermissible. This includes the use of unauthorized copying of examinations, assignments, reports or term papers, or the presentation of acknowledged material as if it were the students' own work. Disciplinary action may be taken beyond the academic discipline administered by the faculty member who teaches the course in which the cheating took place." Students are also responsible for the Academic Honesty policy statement in the latest Undergraduate Bulletin.
XII. Texts:
3-volume Bedford Anthology of World Literature
Ibsen, Henrik, A Doll's House
Molière, Tartuffe
Stevenson, Robert Louis, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Voltaire, Candide
Some materials are on the Humanities Web Site. See link above.
Some materials related to the texts are on other sites. See links by these texts.
XIII. Prerequisites: English 101, 102, Civ 101, 102 or the equivalents
XIV. STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: Murray State University endorses the intent of all federal and state laws created to prohibit discrimination. Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, veteran status, or disability in employment, admissions, or the provision of services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities equal access to participate in all programs and activities. For information regarding nondiscrimination policies contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, 270-809-3155.
PART 1: THE ANCIENT WORLD
W Aug 18 Introduction to the Course and Its Themes: Self, Other, Community
F Aug 20 Introduction to the Ancient World (pp. 1.1-14) Introduction to Homer, Odyssey (Bk. 1) (pp. 1.277-85, 420-434)
M Aug 23 Homer, Odyssey (Bks. 5, 9, 10) (pp. 1.482-494, 529-560)
W Aug 25 Homer, Odyssey (Bks. 11, 12) (pp. 1.560-593)
F Aug 27 Homer, Odyssey (Bks. 19, 21-22) (pp. 1.687-704, 716-743)
M Aug 30 Sophocles, Oedipus Rex (pp. 1.891-897, 899-952)
W Sep 1 Sophocles, Antigone (pp. 1.952-998)
F Sep 3 Aristophanes, Lysistrata (pp. 1.1044-1048, 1.1044-1082)
M Sep 6 Labor Day--No Class
W Sep 8 Sappho (pp. 1.791-793); "It's No Use," "Sleep, Darling," "Don't Ask Me What to Wear," "Lament for a Maidenhead," "He Is More than a Hero," "You Know the Place: Then," "I Have Not Had One Word from Her," (pp 1.794-798);
Catallus (pp. 1.1164-1168); 2. "Sparrow, O, Sweet Sparrow," 3. "Dress Now in Sorrow, O All," 5. "Come, Lesbia, Let Us Live and Love," 11. "Furious, Aurelius," 51. "He Is Changed to a God," 101. "Dear Brother, I Have Come" (pp. 1168-1174)
F Sep 10 Plato, Allegory of the Cave (pp. 1.1083-1088, 1111-1116);
ESSAY 1 DUE
M Sep 13 Plato, Apology and Phaedo (pp. 1.1089-1110)
W Sep 15 Aristotle, from Metaphysics and Poetics (pp. 1.1149-1155)
F Sep 17 Hebrew Texts (pp. 1.127-139): Genesis Excerpts (pp. 1.140-161)
M Sep 20 Bhagavad Gita (pp. 1.1488-1511)
W Sep 22 Confucius, Analects Excerpts (pp. 1.1591-1600)
F Sep 24 EXAM
M Sep 27 Epicurus, "Letters to a Friend" (pp. 1.1633-1635)
PART II: THE MIDDLE PERIOD
W Sep 29 Introduction to the Middle Ages (pp. 2.2-14); New Testament: Sermon on the Mount (pp. 2.15-27; 1.35-44)
F Oct 1 Fall Break: No Class
M Oct 4 The Thousand and One Nights Excerpts (pp. 2.435-467);
W Oct 6 Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love Excerpts (pp. 2.611-627);
Courtly Love Lyrics (pp. 2.628-635); Faraj, "Chastity" (pp. 2.646-647), Ha-Levi, "The Apple" (p. 2.252), Guillaume IX, "Now, When We See the Meadows Once Again" (pp. 2.658-669), De Ventadorn, "My Heart Is so Full of Joy" (pp. 2.661-663)
TH Oct 7 MIDTERM GRADES DUE by 4:30
F Oct 8 Marie de France, "The Lay of Chevrefoil" (pp. 2.670-677);
"Lanval";
"Bisclavret"
M Oct 11 Dante, Inferno (pp. 2.678-686) Canto 1 (pp. 2.689-94), Cantos 3-5 (pp. 2.699-713), Cantos 11-13 (pp. 2.735-748); Canto 34 (pp. 2.844-848)
W Oct 13 Boccaccio, The Decameron Excerpts (pp. 2.849-877)
F Oct 15 Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, "General Prologue" (pp. 2.878-904)
M Oct 18 Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, "Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" (pp. 2.904-932);
PART III: THE RENAISSANCE
W Oct 20 Introduction to Early Modern Period (pp. 3.1-16); Petrarch (pp. 3.67-71), Canzoniere: 1. "Oh, You in These Scattered Rhymes," 3. "It Was the Very Day," 148. "Not Tiber" (3.80-83); European Love Lyrics (pp. 3.85-90); Shakespeare, Sonnets: 18. "Shall I Compare Thee?," 116. "Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds," 129. "Th'Expense of Spirit," 130. "My Mistress' Eyes" (pp. 3. 104-106); Donne, "The Good Morrow," "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning," "Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God" (pp. 3.107-113), Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress" (p. 3.115)
F Oct 22 Donne, "The Good Morrow," "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning," "Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God" (pp. 3.107-113), Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress" (p. 3.115);
ESSAY 2 DUE
M Oct 25 On the Dignity of Man Excerpts (pp. 3.467-470); Machiavelli, The Prince Excerpts (pp. 3.120-139);
W Oct 27 Don Quixote, pt. 1, ch. 1 (pp. 3.257-266), pt. 1, ch. 8 ( 3.271-276), pt. 2, ch. 5 (pp. 3.304-308), pt.2, ch. 30 (pp. 3.320-323)
F Oct 29 Montaigne, "Of Cannibals" (pp. 3.209-224); Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier Excerpts (pp. 3.171-174)
M Nov 1 Shakespeare, The Tempest (Acts 1-3) (pp. 3.489-544)
W Nov 3 Shakespeare, The Tempest (Acts 4-5) (pp. 3.544-564)
F Nov 5 Milton, Paradise Lost (pp. 3.575-576); (Bk. 1) Excerpts (pp. 3.576-587)
M Nov 8 Milton, Paradise Lost (Bk. 9) (pp. 3.630-647)
PART III: THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO THE MODERN PERIOD
W Nov 10 Molière, Tartuffe, Acts I-V
F Nov 12 "Challenging Orthodoxy" (pp. 3.661-665), Copernicus, On the Revolution of Heavenly Bodies Excerpt (pp. 3.684-689); Galileo and Kepler, Correspondence Excerpts (pp. 3.690-694)
M Nov 15 Hobbes, Leviathan Excerpts (Chaps. 13, all; 29, up to "Nor does this happen in monarchy only," continue with "Nor does this happen in monarchy only" up to "And as false doctrine," continue with "Lastly, when in a war," to the end); Locke, Second Treatise on Government Excerpts (Chaps. 2, pars. 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14; 3. pars. 17, 21; 4, pars. 22, 23; 19, pars. 222, 225, 227, 229, 240, 241-243); Jefferson, et al, Declaration of Independence
(Humanities Website)
W Nov 17 Voltaire, Candide
F Nov 19 Ibsen, A Doll's House
M Nov 22 Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
W Nov 24 Thanksgiving Break: No Class
F Nov 25 Thanksgiving Break: No Class
M Nov 29
Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily";
Gilman, "The Yellow Wallpaper"
W Dec 1 Glaspell,"A Jury of Her Peers";
Jackson, "The Lottery"
F Dec 3 Camus, "The Guest"; Kasaipwalova, "Betel Nut Juice Is Bad Magic for Airplanes" (Handout); Review
M-F Dec 6-10 FINAL EXAMS: Given During Regular Exam Times.