Interdisciplinary Programs
General Studies 300 L02
Heritage of Western Civilization I – Perspective
Fall 2010-Winter 2011
T/Th 11:00-12:15
Ron Glasberg
Instructor:
Office
SS 328
Location:
Office Phone: 220-7124
rglasber@ucalgary.ca
E-Mail:
N/A
Web Page:
Office Hours: By Appointment
Additional Information
T.A.s: Shane Halasz and Bryanne Young
Course Description
The course examines the fundamental cultural assumptions of Western Civilization as it
evolved from the Ancient period to the beginning of the French Revolution (1789).
These assumptions are embedded in those classic texts that define how Western
Civilization has sought to provide answers to the basic issues that have always confronted
humanity: life and death, good and evil, wisdom and folly as well as freedom and slavery.
The answers to these questions change, not only according to the epoch (i.e. Ancient,
Medieval, Early Modern and Modern) in which they are developed, but they are also
modified with respect to three kinds of cultural discourse: (1) consensus, which is what
the majority take for granted, (2) critique, which is a conversation attacking or
questioning that which us taken for granted, and (3) deep reality, where seekers attempt
to find new principles of consensus that go beyond simple critique and have a greater
depth (or closeness to reality) than that associated with the current consensus.
Objectives of the Course
(1) gaining ‘perspective’ on the basic questions of life by understanding the answers
developed by earlier epochs and comparing them with current answers;
(2) learning how to critically read and interpret classic texts;
(3) developing an ability to creatively synthesize differing sets of ideas over a long
time period and in varying disciplinary contexts (e.g., philosophy, literature, etc.);
(4) improving one’s abilities to frame and support arguments pertaining to ultimate
questions;
(5) experiencing and enjoying group discussion centered on ultimate questions
Textbooks and Readings:
Lawrence S. Cunningham and John J. Reich, Culture and Values – A Survey of the
Humanities, Vol. I, 7th Edition, With Readings, Boston: Wadsworth, 2010.
Lawrence S. Cunningham and John J, Reich, Culture and Values – A Survey of the
Humanities, Vol. II, 7th Edition, With Readings, Boston: Wadsworth, 2010.
Karl F. Thompson, ed., Classics of Western Thought, Vol. II, 4th Edition, Toronto: Nelson
Thomson Learning, 1992
Edgar E. Knoebel, ed., Classics of Western Thought, Vol. III, 4th Edition, Toronto:
Nelson Thomson Learning, 1992.
R. Glasberg, ed., GNST 300 L01 Book of Readings Fall 2010/Winter 2011 University of
Calgary Bookstore, Custom Course Materials.
Assignments and Evaluation
Assignment #1: Unpacking a Text, 15%, Due Oct. 14, 2010, in class
Assignment #2: Problems and Solutions, 20%, Due Feb. 17, 2011, in class
Christmas Exam: Registrar Scheduled; 15%
Final Exam: Registrar Scheduled; 20%
Tutorial Presentations: 1/term @ 10% each for a total of 20% (throughout year)
6 in-class quizzes @ 2% each with best of 5 for a total of 10% (throughout year)
For details, please see Assignment Guide after Schedule of Lectures Readings.
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It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor during class.
Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: Yes
Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every
attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee
that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.
Policy for Late Assignments
Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.:
A- to B+) for each day late.
Writing Skills Statement
Department policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser
extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. Writing
skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc)
but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.
If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre. Visit the website for
more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca
Grading System
The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Arts:
(Revised, effective September 2010)
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F
Grading Scale
96-100
90-95.99
85-89.99
80-84.99
75-79.99
70-74.99
65-69.99
60-64.99
55-59.99
53-54.99
50-52.99
0-49
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Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally
be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale. That is, A- would be converted
to 87.5 for calculation purposes. F will be converted to zero.
Plagiarism
Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic
offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and
possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.
You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they
appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be
able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people’s words and ideas
begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages
or visual media, and material taken from such sources.
Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you
have any questions regarding how to document sources.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is
your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss
your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the class.
Student Representation
Another source of information that you may wish to use is your student representative.
All faculties elect students to represent them on the Students Union. Please see
http://www.su.ucalgary.ca/home/contact.html
For your student ombudsman, please see
http://www.su.ucalgary.ca/services/student-services/student-rights.html
"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333
Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use
any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot
booths.
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Ethics
Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews,
observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following
university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your
research plans and supervise your research. For more information about your research
ethics responsibilities, see
University of Calgary Research Ethics site:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/
Schedule of Lectures and Readings
Abbreviations:
C&V,I = Culture and Values, Vol. I
C&V,II = Culture and Values, Vol. II
CWT,II = Classics of Western Thought, Vol. II
CWT,III = Classics of Western Thought, Vol. III
RP = Reading Package
First Term: Fall 2010
Sept. 14: Introduction – Basic Concepts
Sept. 16: The First Big Question – Life and Death: C&V,I, 4-8, 295-296; RP 1-24
(Gilgamesh and Novak)
Sept. 21: The Second Big Question – Freedom and Slavery from a Homeric and a
Sapphic Perspective: C&V,I,32-36, 48-49, 297-305; RP 26-29
Sept. 23: Freedom and Slavery from a Fatalistic Perspective – Sophocles’ Oedipus
C&V,I,53-61, 308-321
Sept. 28: The Third Big Question – Wisdom and Folly: Socrates and Plato; C&V,I,6263; 321-327; RP 30-38
Sept. 30: David Cataford Career Services Presentation
Oct. 5: Aristotle’s Way to Wisdom; C&V,I, 327-331; RP 39-51
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Oct. 7: Virgil’s Way to Wisdom, Freedom and a Meaningful Life; C&V,I,83-85,8891,95-98, 332-341
Quiz #1 – Last 10 Minutes of Class
Oct. 7: The Fourth Big Question – Good and Evil from a Hebraic Perspective;
C&V,I,131-137; 352-353; 355-356
Oct. 12: Good and Evil from a Christian perspective; C&V,I,137-141; 358-360
Oct. 14: Augustine and the Freedom from Addiction; C&V,I,149-152; 366-374
Oct. 14: First Assignment Due:
Oct. 19: The Meaningful Life in A Monastery: From Benedict to Hroswitha; C&V,I,190195,388-392; CWT,II,1-13
Oct. 21: Good and Evil and Life and Death outside the Monastery: Everyman and
‘Every-Noble’; C&V,I,401-410; CWT,II,35-51
Oct. 26: Hildegard’s Deep Reality and the Subjection of Heloise; C&V,I,385-388; RP
90-114
Oct. 28: Wisdom and Freedom in St. Thomas Aquinas; C&V,I,223-230; CWT,II, 70-84
Tutorial Presentation #1
Nov. 2: Ultimate Good and the Perfection of Life in Dante; C&V,I, 231-235; 413-435
Quiz #2 – Last 10 Minutes of Class
Nov. 4: Life and Death in a time of Rebirth: Petrarch to Boccaccio; C&V,I,237-243;
265-267; CWT,II,215-251
Tutorial Presentation #2
Nov. 11-14: Reading Days
Nov. 9: Renaissance Wisdom – Machiavelli and Christine de Pisan; C&V,I,244-245;
265-268, 287-291; RP 166-187; CWT,II,278-293
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Tutorial Presentation #3
Nov. 11-14: Reading Days
Nov. 16: Renaissance Ideals of a Meaningful Life: Pico & Christine de Pisan C&V,I,450452; CWT,II,252-262
Tutorial Presentation #4
Nov. 18: Renaissance Folly: Erasmus and Vignali; C&V,II,290-291; CWT,II, 263-277;
RP 203-218
Tutorial Presentation #5
Nov. 23: Reformation with Luther: Critique of the Catholic Consensus; C&V,II,323333; CWT,II,518-534
Tutorial Presentation #6
Nov. 25: Calvin and the Problem of Evil; CWT,II,535-549
Tutorial Presentation #7
Nov. 30: Montaigne and the Goodness of Nature and the Evil of the Artificial; C&V,II.
333; 617-621; CWT,II,371-387
Tutorial Presentation # 8
Quiz # 3 – Last 10 Minutes of Class
Dec. 2: Shakespeare – Evil in a Secular Context; C&V,II,349-352; CWT,II,394-503
Tutorial Presentation #9
Dec. 7: Shakespeare -- Wisdom and Folly; Freedom and Slavery; [continue with above
readings]
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Tutorial Presentation #10
Dec. 9: End of Term Review
Second Term: Winter 2011
Jan. 11: Ignatius: Strengthening the Catholic Consensus by way of a Meaningful Life;
C&V,II,355-359; CWT,II,550-557
Jan. 13: Baroque: Galileo and Bacon – Rethinking the Depth of the Real; C&V,II,333335; 383-385; CWT,III,10-19; RP 219-222
Jan. 18: Descartes -- Deep Reality and a New Natural Wisdom; C&V,II,385;
CWT,III,20-30
Jan. 20: Hobbes – Deep Political Reality and a New Social Wisdom; C&V,II,385-386;
CWT,III,31-42
Jan. 25: Locke – Deep Political Reality and the Possibilities of Freedom; CWT,III,68-82
Jan. 27: Pascal – Deep Spiritual Reality; CWT,III,43-58
Quiz # 4 – Last 10 Minutes of Class
Feb. 1: Enlightenment: Locke & Voltaire – Critique of the Baroque; C&V,II,393398;412-413;416-417; CWT,III,59-67;95-130
Feb. 3: Conservative Enlightenment: Pope & Swift – Strengthening the Consensus;
C&V,II,414;687-689; CWT,III,83-94
Feb. 8: Radical Enlightenment: Rousseau – New Possibilities for Freedom by Critiquing
the Consensus at a Fundamental Level; C&V,II,415-416; 689-691; CWT,III,141-153
Feb. 10: Radical Enlightenment: Condorcet – Building the Contemporary Consensus;
C&V,II,418-420; CWT,III,178-201
Assignment #2 Due in Class
Feb. 15: Consensus in the Context of Freedom and Slavery: Spelman RP 52-63; Julian of
Norwich RP 115-120
Feb. 17: Consensus in the Context of Good and Evil – Roland and the Malleus
Malificarum C&V,I,195-197; CWT,II,14-34; RP 119-142
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Feb. 17: Assignment #2 Due in Class
Quiz #5 – Last 10 Minutes of Class
Feb. 20-27: Reading Week
Mar. 1: Consensus in the Context of Life and Death – Chaucer; C&V,I,243-244;
CWT,II,140-159
Mar. 3: Consensus in the Context of Wisdom and Folly – Castiglione; C&V,II,318-319;
CWT,II,294-315
Mar. 8: Critique in the Context of Life and Death – Juvenal and Chaucer; C&V,I,108109; 342-343; CWT,II, 159-171
Tutorial Presentation #1
Mar. 10: Critique on the Context of Life and Death – Cervantes; C&V,II,388;673-678;
CWT,II,504-517
Tutorial Presentation #2
Mar. 15: Critique in the Context of Good and Evil – Amos, Marcus Aurelius; C&V,I,343345; 356-358
Tutorial Presentation #3
Mar. 17: Critique in the Context of Wisdom and Folly – More’s Utopia; CWT,II,316-328
Tutorial presentation #4
Mar. 22: Critique on the Context of Freedom and Slavery – De Pisan’s Book of the Duke
of True Lovers and Laura Cereta; CWT,II,201-214; RP 188-200
Tutorial Presentation #5
Mar. 24: Critique in the Context of Freedom and Slavery – Poullain de la Barre and
Wollstonecraft; RP 223-242; 289-293
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Tutorial Presentation #6
Mar. 29: Critique ion the Context of Freedom and Slavery – Beccaria and Smith;
CWT,III,154-177
Quiz #6 – Last 10 Minutes of Class
Mar. 31: Deep Reality in the Context pf Life and Death – Gooch and Pagels; RP 294328; 64-87
Tutorial Presentation #7
Apr. 5: Deep Reality in the Context of Good and Evil – Job, Perpetua and Felicity, and
Catherine of Siena; C&V,I,353-355; 363-366; CWT,II,128-135
Tutorial presentation #8
Apr. 7: Deep Reality in the Context of Good and Evil – Milton; C&V,II,389-390; 678684; RP 243-262
Tutorial presentation #9
Apr. 12: Deep Reality in the Context of Freedom and Slavery – Astell; RP 263-288
Tutorial Presentation #10
Apr. 14: Final Review
Assignment Guide: 2010-2011
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Assignment #1: Unpacking A Text
Value: 15%; Due date: Oct. 14, 2010 (in class); Page Length: 4-6 pages double-spaced
This course is all about unpacking texts, that is, opening them up with a view to
understanding the fundamental cultural assumptions which the texts articulate. In order
to do that unpacking, one must utilize certain tools, which are categories of analysis or
the concepts by which we organize experience so that it may be understood. We tend to
do this unconsciously most of the time, but we can only enhance our freedom if we
become conscious of our categories and organize our world in a more mindful manner.
With respect to the categories used in this course, it is organized around 4 big questions
and 3 types of discourse. The four big questions are (1) life and death, (2) good and evil,
(3) wisdom and folly, and (4) freedom and slavery. The three types of discourse are (1)
consensus, (2) critique, and (3) deep reality (sometimes known as ultimate or
foundational reality). Each of the readings reflects one or more of these big questions
and one or more of these types of discourse. In this and the subsequent assignment (as
well as in the Tutorial Presentations and Exams), you will be exploring these questions.
While the foregoing categories are abstract and need to be defined in ways that allow
them to be useful as textual ‘unpackers’, other categories are more concrete although they
too need to be defined before they can be used effectively. Other categories that may be
applied to one or more texts are the following: gender relations (Sappho, Homer); nature
of death and how best to approach it (Gilgamesh); personal identity and how it may be
known (Sophocles); life goals (Aristotle, Vergil, Jesus); obstacles to perception of the
real (Plato); the good life (Socrates, Aristotle, Sappho); happiness and misery (Genesis,
Augustine); fears and how they may be overcome (Homer [and I don’t mean Simpson
{d’oh}] and all others); addiction and how to break free (Augustine). Please note that
this list is far from exhaustive.
Examples of current fundamental cultural assumptions, in a Western context, are: (1) the
good life grows out of material prosperity; (2) reality is essential material (nonconscious); (3) spirituality is essentially a private matter; (4) competition is a good thing.
Goals Of Assignment #1:
-
state what you believe to be the fundamental cultural assumption that a given text
is articulating;
show the manner in which the assumption is being articulated;
compare that assumption with its closest counterpart in contemporary society and
how that assumption manifests itself most clearly (e.g., TV ad, video game,
music, etc.)
Method Of Assignment #1:
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-
state the category or categories you are using;
explain why it was chosen to open the text under investigation;
show what the category reveals in terms of the text’s fundamental cultural
assumption and how the text reveals it;
compare the revealed assumption with one that currently corresponds with nit
(e.g., what has changed and what has remained the same)
N.B.: The foregoing should be the actual sections of your essay.
Assignment #2: Problems and Solutions
Value 20%; Due Date: Feb. 17, 2011 (in class); Page Length: approx. 12 pages doublespaced
Every civilization has its problems and issues, including our own. Ecological
catastrophe, terrorism, rampant consumerism, a general sense of meaninglessness, the
problem of work that is either not available or is inherently devaluing to the one who
does it – these are just some of our problems. Solutions are always being proposed, but
they are the subject of intense debate even if there is some way of actually implementing
them.
Now in order to get a grip on the trajectory of the West and also to gain perspective on
possible solutions to our current problems, one needs a big-picture outlook. Hence, the
assignment guides students to look at three texts in order to get a sense of how problems
and solutions evolved.
Goals of Assignment #2:
-
gain an overview of the evolutionary trajectory of Western Civilization;
assess effectiveness of solutions proposed in the past
answer question of what you have learned about Western Civilization in terms of
its strengths and weaknesses
Method of Assignment #2:
-
choose 3 texts, one from the Ancient period, one from the Medieval, and one from
the Early Modern (i.e., Renaissance to Enlightenment)
explain how each of the texts you have selected articulates the major challenges
facing the culture at that time;
critically evaluate the solution(s) suggested by the text;
compare the foregoing successes and failures with how well or badly we are
dealing with our current crises
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Tutorial Presentations:
Value: 1/term @ 10% each for a total value of 20% awarded jointly to all members of the
tutorial who participated equitably in their creation; Due Dates given in syllabus
Length: 15-20 minutes (max); 1-2 page written summary of points you are making
(submitted on day of presentation)
Goals:
-share with class the insights your tutorial has developed on the big questions and the
modes of discourse;
-seek to engage class in discussion and understanding of issue;
-compare some contemporary response to a big question (or questions) with response
articulated in one or more course texts
Method:
-use any format (video, play, power-point, etc.);
-work together as a group to discuss what big question and/or form of discourse interests
you in terms of course texts and find some contemporary example that deals with the
same question (TV, film, music, advertisements, etc.)
-show similarities and differences with respect to how the issue is solved or not solved
- N.B.: focus on the text that will be covered in class on the day of your presentation
Christmas and Final Exams:
Value: 15% and 20% respectively, scheduled by Registrar
-2 parts; objective part worth 20% and structured like Quizzes discussed below;
-Essay part comprised of 2 essay questions worth 40% each;
-Essay questions given in advance
Quizzes:
Value: 6 Quizzes @ 2% each with best of 5 for a total value of 10%; Dates given in
Syllabus
-Identification of writers, figures, with quotes or concepts;
-Easy to do if you have done the readings up to that point;
-Only 10 identifications to be done at end of class on days indicated in Syllabus
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