Humanities I, Section 12
Tom Dale Keever
Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30-11:50 am
Class homepage:
http://keever.us/MSMHUM1.html
Classroom: 511
Instructor’s email: tdk@keever.us
Foundational Visions
Myth & Morality in the Ancient World
This course focuses on classic literature and is designed to improve critical
reading and writing skills through examination of the fundamental works that
have shaped thought in major cultural centers and by writing assignments based
on those works.
Required Books (available at Manhattan School of Music bookshop)
The Norton Anthology of WORLD Literature, ( Third Edition )
Volumes A, B, and C in pack
A Rulebook of Arguments.
The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing
Other works will be handed out or made available on line
Also suggested: The Holy Bible, King James Version, printed or online.
Written Requirements
Mid-term Examination: An in-class written examination that will include passage
identification from the required readings and essay questions.
Final paper. A written project that will require research and original thought. You
will submit an outline and a preliminary draft at dates to be announced.
Final Examination: An in-class written examination that will cover material from
the entire semester.
Further written assignments will be made during the semester. All citations will
be done according to the Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines which
will be posted on the class website. I will give you guidelines for writing these
assignments.
I will administer some in-class quizzes to test your reading comprehension of the
materials I have assigned. Always bring paper and writing tools to class.
Attendance will be taken at each class.
Three late arrivals (more than 15 minutes) will be counted as one absence.
Four absences will result in the lowering of your final grade by two grade steps.
(e.g. a B will become a C+) Seven absences will result in the lowering of your
final grade by two full grades. Ten absences will result in failure.
Grading
You will be graded on your written work, the in-class examinations
and quizzes, and on your class participation. I will give you more detailed
breakdowns of the proportions that each will count toward your final grade.
Humanities I, Section 12, cont.
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Humanities I, Section 12, cont.
3
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism and academic dishonesty, which include submitting work that is not
your own, e.g. passages you have downloaded from the internet, failing to
acknowledge the work of others through proper citation, and unauthorized
collaboration, are serious offenses, and punishable according to school policies.
I will post the school’s policies on academic dishonesty on the class homepage.
If you must miss class, try to let me know in advance and be sure to keep up with
the material. You are responsible for getting notes from other class members
and finding out about any assignments.
Turn off ALL CELL PHONES! By “off” I do NOT mean “on vibrate.” I mean OFF.
Anyone whose cell phone goes off in class will be considered “late” and
penalized accordingly. Anyone answering their cell phone will be asked to leave
class and will be counted as “Absent.”
No laptop computers, Kindles, iPods, iPhones or other electronic devices will be
allowed to operate during class. Leave them in their cases. Do not keep them
on your desks. The only exception will be devices that display the text we are
studying.
Do NOT study music scores or other materials not related to our readings during
class.
There is NO eating in class. Have breakfast before you come.
Coffee, tea, and other non-alcoholic beverages are allowed.
Humanities I, Section 12, cont.
Schedule of readings (subject to change):
11 Sept
First Class, Introduction and Diagnostic assignment
16 Sept
Hesiod, Homer, and Greek mythology, The Iliad
18 Sept
The Iliad
23 Sept
The Iliad
25 Sept
The Iliad
30 Sept
The Odyssey
2 Oct
The Odyssey
7 Oct
The Odyssey
9 Oct
The Hymn to Demeter (handout)
14 Oct
Plato, The Republic and Aristotle, The Poetics
16 Oct
Aeschylus, Agamemnon
21 Oct
Aeschylus, The Eumenides (The Furies)
23 Oct
Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
28 Oct
Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
30 Oct
Euripides, The Bacchae
4 Nov
Euripides, The Bacchae
6 Nov
The Mahãbhãrata and The Bhagvad-gitã
11 Nov
Confucious, The Analects and The Classic of Poetry
13 Nov
Daodejing / Laozi
18 Nov
Genesis
20 Nov
Genesis
25 Nov
Genesis / Exodus
27 Nov
Thanksgiving, No Class
2 Dec
The Gospel of Mathew, “The Sermon on the Mount”
4 Dec
Gospel of John Acts, The Gospel of Thomas
9 Dec
The Koran
11 Dec
Final Class
15 – 19
Final Exam Week. Final paper due
4