Humanities III, Section 12
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 – 10:20 am
Class homepage:
http://keever.us/MSMHUM3.html
Tom Dale Keever
Classroom: 411
Instructor’s email: tdk@keever.us
Rebels and Revolutions: The Politics of Revolution and Reform
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A survey of works of literature and political philosophy
that examines the conflicting impulses of revolution and reform, idealism and
practicality, as driving forces towards the reconfiguration of society as well as the
role of the rebellious individual as a catalyst for change.
Texts:
A Rulebook of Arguments
The Nuts and Bolts of College Writimg
Thomas More, Utopia
Machiavelli, The Prince
Shakespeare, The Tempest
Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto
Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy
Ibsen, A Doll’s House
Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Others to be announced
Most of the texts are available in inexpensive paperback editions in the MSM
bookstore. Others will be provided in photocopied handouts or in online editions.
You must bring the text that we are discussing to class so that you can refer to it.
The class is conducted as a seminar, with most of our time spent discussing the
assigned readings. Your ideas constitute the basis of our engagement, so I
encourage you to share them with us. To help approximate ideal participation, I
will alert you in advance to important issues in a work.
The class will write short essays on topics assigned by the instructor relating to
the readings. I will give you further information in class and in future hand-outs on
what is expected of you on the papers you will be assigned. Your written
assignments will be “expository” essays in which you will take a position about
some topic related to the written material and present an “argument” for that
position. The text A Rulebook for Arguments will to help you understand how a
clear and compelling argument is constructed and presented.
There may be short quizzes on the reading. Come prepared with paper and
writing tools.
Longer writing assignments:
Midterm & Final Exams
--Take-home; to consist of full-paragraph responses to key passages of assigned
readings, as well as essay responses to other questions that may involve several
of the required readings.
Humanities III, Section 12, cont.
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One paper, due near the end of the semester, which will involve researching and
critiquing an individual or group whose role as an agent, or agents, of social
change the student wishes to examine. Topics will be worked out with the
instructor. An outline of the paper and a first draft will be submitted at dates to be
announced.
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.
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.
There will be a link to the college’s policy on attendance on the class homepage.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism and academic dishonesty, which include submitting work that is not
your own, 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.
No laptop computers, Kindles, iPods, iPhones or other electronic devices will be
allowed to operate during class.
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 III, Section 12, cont.
Schedule of classes and readings, subject to change:
Sept 6
First class Intro and get to know
Sept 11
Thomas More, Utopiap
Sept 13
Thomas More, Utopia
Sept 18
Machiavelli, The Prince
Sept 20
Machiavelli, The Prince
Sept 25
Shakespeare The Tempest
Sept 27
Shakespeare The Tempest
Oct 2
Shakespeare The Tempest
Oct 4
Shakespeare The Tempest
Oct 9
Milton, Areopagitica
Oct 11
Winstanley, The True Levelers Standard, Origin of Government
Oct 16
Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine
Oct 18
French Revolution: Robespierre, Declaration of the Rights of Man
Oct 23
The Federalist and The Constitution
Oct 25
The Federalist and The Constitution
Oct 30
Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy
Nov 1
Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy
Nov 6
Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Nov 8
Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Nov 13
Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto
Nov 15
Marx and Engels, The Communist Manifesto
Nov 20
Ibsen, A Doll’s House
Nov 22
Thanksgiving – No Class
Nov 27
Ibsen, A Doll’s House
Nov 29
Martin Luther King, Malcolm X
Dec 4
Situationists and Radical Avant Garde
Dec 6
Final Class
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