Humanities 211-03
Western Humanities Tradition: Revolt against Authority
FALL 2012
Helen Roulston
Department of English and Philosophy


FH 207
MWF 10:30
Office: FH7B 1O
Office Hours: MW 11:30-12:30
TTH 9:00-11:00, T 12:30-2:30
Office Phone: 809-4712
E-mail: hroulston@murraystate.edu
Website: http://www.helenroulston.com
Humanities Website

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.
             The Racer Oral Communication Center offers free, one-on-one help with all aspects of the presentation process. We provide assistance with topic selection, outlining, research, visual aids, and can video record your presentation. To make an appointment, please call 809-3458 or visit our website (http://comcenter.murraystate.edu) to schedule through our online calendar. To best make use of your time at the Center, please bring a copy of your assignment with you to your appointment.
             The Racer Writing Center offers free, one-on-one assistance with all aspects of writing, at any stage in the writing process, and for any class a student may be taking. To make an appointment, please call 809-2267 or drop by the center in the northeast corner of Waterfield Library. To make the best use of your time there, please bring a copy of your assignment with you. The Writing Center will not proofread (mark corrections on) papers or talk with you about grades.

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. Policy on Academic Honesty
             Murray State University takes seriously its moral and educational obligation to maintain high standards of academic honesty and ethical behavior. Instructors are expected to evaluate students’ academic achievements accurately, as well as ascertain that work submitted by students is authentic and the result of their own efforts, and consistent with established academic standards. Students are obligated to respect and abide by the basic standards of personal and professional integrity.
Violations of Academic Honesty include:
             Cheating - Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized information such as books, notes, study aids, or other electronic, online, or digital devices in any academic exercise; as well as unauthorized communication of information by any means to or from others during any academic exercise.
             Fabrication and Falsification - Intentional alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Falsification involves changing information whereas fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information.
             Multiple Submission - The submission of substantial portions of the same academic work, including oral reports, for credit more than once without authorization from the instructor.
             Plagiarism - Intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, creative work, or data of someone else as one’s own in any academic exercise, without due and proper acknowledgement. [This particularly pertains to students citing without attribution Jean Anouilh’s Antigone to be found on line.]
Instructors should outline their expectations that may go beyond the scope of this policy at the beginning of each course and identify such expectations and restrictions in the course syllabus. When an instructor receives evidence, either directly or indirectly, of academic dishonesty, he or she should investigate the instance. The faculty member should then take appropriate disciplinary action.
Disciplinary action may include, but is not limited to the following:
1) Requiring the student(s) to repeat the exercise or do additional related exercise(s).
2) Lowering the grade or failing the student(s) on the particular exercise(s) involved.
3) Lowering the grade or failing the student(s) in the course.
If the disciplinary action results in the awarding of a grade of E in the course, the student(s) may not drop the course. Faculty reserve the right to invalidate any exercise or other evaluative measures if substantial evidence exists that the integrity of the exercise has been compromised. Faculty also reserve the right to document in the course syllabi further academic honesty policy elements related to the individual disciplines.
A student may appeal the decision of the faculty member with the department chair in writing within five working days. Note: If, at any point in this process, the student alleges that actions have taken place that may be in violation of the Murray State University Non-Discrimination Statement, this process must be suspended and the matter be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity. Any appeal will be forwarded to the appropriate university committee as determined by the Provost.
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, 104, 105, 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 22 Introduction to the Course and Its Themes: Self, Other, Community

F Aug 24 Introduction to the Ancient World (pp. 1.1-14) Introduction to Homer, Odyssey (Bk. 1) (pp. 1.277-85, 420-434)

M Aug 27 Homer, Odyssey (Bks. 5, 9, 10) (pp. 1.482-494, 529-560)

W Aug 29 Homer, Odyssey (Bks. 11, 12) (pp. 1.560-593)

F Aug 31 Homer, Odyssey (Bks. 19, 21-22) (pp. 1.687-704, 716-743)

M Sep 3 Labor Day: No Class

W Sep 5 Sophocles, Oedipus Rex (pp. 1.891-897, 899-952)

F Sep 7 Sophocles, Antigone (pp. 1.952-998). [Do not confuse this play with Jean Anouilh’s Antigone to be found on line.]

M Sep 10 Aristophanes, Lysistrata (pp. 1.1044-1048, 1.1044-1082)

W Sep 12 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 14 Plato, Allegory of the Cave (pp. 1.1083-1088, 1111-1116);
ESSAY 1 DUE

M Sep 17 Plato, Apology and Phaedo (pp. 1.1089-1110)

W Sep 19 Aristotle, from Metaphysics and Poetics (pp. 1.1149-1155)

F Sep 21 Hebrew Texts (pp. 1.127-139): Genesis Excerpts (pp. 1.140-161)

M Sep 24 Bhagavad Gita (pp. 1.1488-1511)

W Sep 26 Confucius, Analects Excerpts (pp. 1.1591-1600)

F Sep 28 EXAM

M Oct 1 Epicurus, "Letters to a Friend" (pp. 1.1633-1635)

PART II: THE MIDDLE PERIOD

W Oct 3 Introduction to the Middle Ages (pp. 2.2-14); New Testament: Sermon on the Mount (pp. 2.15-27; 1.35-44)

F Oct 5 Fall Break: No Class

M Oct 8 The Thousand and One Nights Excerpts (pp. 2.435-467);

W Oct 10 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)

F Oct 12 Marie de France, "The Lay of Chevrefoil" (pp. 2.670-677); "Lanval"; "Bisclavret"

M Oct 15 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 17 Boccaccio, The Decameron Excerpts (pp. 2.849-877

F Oct 19 Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, "General Prologue" (pp. 2.878-904)

M Oct 22 Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, "Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" (pp. 2.904-932);

PART III: THE RENAISSANCE

W Oct 24 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 26 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 29 Pico, On the Dignity of Man Excerpts (pp. 3.467-470); Machiavelli, The Prince Excerpts (pp. 3.120-139);

W Oct 31 Cervantes, 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 Nov 2 Montaigne, "Of Cannibals" (pp. 3.209-224); Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier Excerpts (pp. 3.171-174)

M Nov 5 Shakespeare, The Tempest (Acts 1-3) (pp. 3.489-544)

W Nov 7 Shakespeare, The Tempest (Acts 4-5) (pp. 3.544-564)

F Nov 9 Milton, Paradise Lost (pp. 3.575-576); (Bk. 1) Excerpts (pp. 3.576-587)

M Nov 12 Milton, Paradise Lost (Bk. 9) (pp. 3.630-647)

PART III: THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO THE MODERN PERIOD

W Nov 14 Molière, Tartuffe, Acts I-V

F Nov 16 "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 19 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 21 Thanksgiving: No Class

F Nov 23 Thanksgiving: No Class

M Nov 26 Voltaire, Candide

W Nov 28 Ibsen, A Doll's House

F Nov 30 Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

M Dec 3 Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily"
Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily" Read by Louie Crew Emeritus Professor at Rutgers University
Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily" Read by Louie Crew Emeritus Professor at Rutgers University

Gilman, "The Yellow Wallpaper"

W Dec 5 Glaspell,"A Jury of Her Peers"; Jackson, "The Lottery"

F Dec 7 Camus, "The Guest"; Kasaipwalova, "Betel Nut Juice Is Bad Magic for Airplanes" (Handout); Review

M-F Dec 10-14 FINAL EXAMS: Given During Regular Exam Times.

Teaching