Dr. Lanlan Kuang
Philosophy Department
University of Central Florida
Tentative Syllabus:
All Contents and Dates Subject to Change
(Last Updated Jan 8, 2014)
HUM 2230 Humanistic Traditions II
3 credit hours
Spring 2015
Class Time: Thursday 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Place: ENG1 0427
E-mail: lanlan.kuang@ucf.edu (please e-mail me via Webcourses2 unless I am out of the country)
Phone: (407) 823-2195
Office: PHI 242 (It’s on the second floor of the Psychology Building.)
Office Hours: Tuesdays 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Other times by appointment. Email is a good way to communicate
with me.
Course Objective and Description:
This course explores the ideas and art forms of the Post- Renaissance and Baroque worlds from the mid-17th
century to the present. Special attention will be given to western and non-western cultures, including the interrelated elements of art, literature, architecture, music, philosophy, religion, and politics. Each of the cultural
elements will be examined for evidence of primary themes, values, and ideas present in the selected societies. We
will also look at the presence or potential application of historical value systems in the modern world.
This is NOT a Gordon Rule class.
Note: Florida's Gordon Rule (as applied at UCF) requires a passing score (60% or >) on a minimum of four
papers per class. Additionally, students must earn at least a C- in the class as a whole for Gordon Rule credit.
Required Texts (please obtain all required text by the end of the first week):
The Humanistic Tradition by Gloria Fiero, Sixth Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2010:
Book 4 Faith, Reason, and Power in the Early modern World
ISBN-10: 0077346254; ISBN-13: 978-0077346256
Book 5 Romanticism, Realism, and the Nineteenth-Century World
ISBN-10: 007734622X; ISBN-13: 978-0077346225
Book 6 Modernism, Postmodernism, and the Global Perspective
ISBN-10: 0077346254; ISBN-13: 978-0077346256
PDF files will be distributed by the instructor via the UCF WebCourse2 throughout the semester. Please make sure
you check your WebCourse2 regularly for updated materials and announcements.
MLA Format and Citation Guidelines may be obtained from the Webcourse2’s Content Section.
Note: For course and teaching related matters, please e-mail me via WebCourse2. For office hour appointments,
doctor’s notes, and/or any other non-teaching related matters, please e-mail me via your Knightsmail to my UCF email account. Please check your e-mail frequently for notifications and additional reading materials. As of 2009,
Knightsmail is the only official student email at UCF. Class rosters list Knightsmail addresses rather than external
email addresses, and all official class communications will be sent only to the Knightsmail addresses and via
WebCourse2. Students are responsible for checking their Knightsmail accounts and WebCourse2 regularly. See
www.knightsemail.ucf.edu for further information.
1 Important dates to remember:
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Friday, January 16, 2015
Monday, January 19, 2015
Thursday, February 12, 2015
March 9-14, 2015
Thursday, March 24, 2015
Thursday, April 14, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
Drop/Swap Deadline/Last Day for Full Refund
Add Deadline
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
No class. I will be in NYC for a conference.
Spring Break (I will be out of the country)
Grade Forgiveness Deadline/Withdrawal Deadline
No class. I will be in at Oxford U, UK for a conference.
Last Class Meeting prior Final Exam Day
Classes End
Final Examination
1:00 pm – 3:50 pm
Grades due
*All dates are subject to change based on professor’s discretion. Any changes will be announced in class, and
students will be given an updated syllabus.
Grading Criteria:
20 points
Attendance, Participation, Reading Questions (10+5+5; see details below)
5 points
2 Short In-class Quiz (designed to fulfill the federal and university policy on financial aids)
45 points
3 In-Class + Take-home Exams, 15 points each
15 points
Research Paper (see details below)
15 points
Final Exam (see details below)
+5 points
Extra credits (see details below)
100 points + 5 points extra credit
Assignments and Details:
(All written assignments must follow the MLA Format and Citation Guidelines on WebCourse2)
1.
Attendance, Participation, & Reading Questions
(20 points = 10+5+5; see details below)
Attendance: 10 points
Class Participation: 5 points
Reading Questions/Discussion Topics: 5 points
Attendance: You lose 1 point on your overall grade every time you miss a class—unless you have a medical excuse
supported with a doctor’s note, signed and dated. You must obtain a formal document on letterhead stationary
signed by the director/manager of your work place for any job-related excused absence. Absence due to family
related incidents (including wedding/funeral) may be excused only with a signed letter with a reachable phone
number from your legal guidance.
Please note that if you come to class a) just to sign-in and leave before the end of the class or b) arriving 10 minutes
late, you will loss the attendance point of the day.
You are granted ONE “no-questions asked absent pass” each semester. Use it wisely. ;)
Class Participation: You may earn 5 points with active participation in class discussions.
The Participation grading scale is as follow:
Free participation credits will be granted to the first week of class (2 lectures) and to the one “no question asked” absent-pass
lecture (0.75/5). You will have at least 22 more lectures to earn the participation credits. Each time you actively participate in
class/group discussion you will earn 0.25 points. J
2 You may come over to my office during office hour to check on the marks if you think the calculation is
questionable.
Reading Questions: You are asked to PREPARE, PRINT, and SUBMIT 3 questions/topics based on your readingassignments before each lecture.
The Reading Questions grading scale is as follow:
For every "so-so" (meaning, you read the material and ask relevant questions) assignment, you receive 0.15 points.
For every "good" (meaning, you know the material and ask intelligent questions) assignment, you receive 0.25 points.
For every "very good" (meaning, you know the material, think about it, and ask excellent questions) assignment, 0.35 points J
You may come over to my office during office hour to check on the copies you submit if you think the calculation is questionable.
2.
2 Quizzes
(5 points = 2 x 2.5 point each)
These two “know-the-basics” quizzes are designed to fulfill the federal and university policy regarding financial aids
(you will see the notice on your Webcourse2). They will be given in class on Thursday Jan 15 and the following
Tuesday Jan 20, 2015. Each quiz has 5-10 questions and each quiz is worth 2.5 point of your overall grade. Please
make sure you read the course syllabus so you wouldn’t miss any important assignments.
3.
Three Exams
(45 points = 15 x 3 points each, with Essay Questions)
Each exam will include a multiple-choice portion, which will be given in class and an essay portion, which will be
completed as take-home assignment. You will have at least one week to complete each of the three take-home essay
exams. Each exam is worth 15 points (5 for multiple-choice portion + 10 for essay portion). These short essay
questions require you to reflect on the readings and class discussions while comparing and contrasting varying
viewpoints, including your own. You should be able to define, describe, and discuss some of the new terms and
ideas we learn in class. You MUST reflect carefully, and specifically, on the readings to get a good grade. Your
answer must be well written, follows the MLA Format and Citation Guidelines, which may be obtained from your
Webcourses2’s Content Section.
THERE WILL BE NO MAKE UP EXAMS. NO HARD COPY ON THE EXAM DUE DATE, NO GRADE.
4.
Research Paper (15 points = 2 proposal + 5 presentation + 8 paper), see details below)
Further details will be distributed in a separate handout. Each of you must prepare a one-page research paper
proposal for peer review on March 3, 2015 (bring 6 hard copies to class). You will receive feedbacks from your
peers. Please note that the peer review process is worth 2 points.
EACH OF YOU WILL GIVE A 10 MINUTES PRESENTATION OF YOUR RESEARCH PAPER.
NO MAKE UP PROJECT, NO LATE PRESENTATION, and NO LATE PAPER.
5.
Final Exam
(15 points, see details below)
Final Exam will include a multiple-choice portion and an essay portion, just like the 3 exams. However, the Final
Exam will be based on materials from Chapter 20-38.
6.
Extra credits
(+5 points, see details below)
Students have the option of creating, or writing a 5-10 page paper on a small course related topic. You may earn up
to 5 points as extra credits.
NOTES:
1. Incomplete in this course is not an option unless it is absolutely unavoidable. You must have a legitimate reason.
2. Please keep a copy of all papers you turn in to me.
3. I only accept hard copies of your paper that are present to me no later than its due day, UNLESS OTHERWISE
SPECIFIED. Electronic copies of your issue paper will NOT be graded.
4. I would like to see students in this class on an individual basis from time to time so that I can help you with
problem areas. Since this class deals with many difficult issues, one can easily feel conflicted and uncomfortable.
You should feel free to express these feelings.
5. No class assignments (excluding Final Paper) will be accepted after Thursday April 23, 2015. NO EXCEPTIONS!
3 Please do not approach me after the final due date and ask for permission to submit your assignments late. Thanks.
6. Please remember the course FINAL EXAM DATE AND TIME.
7. Late papers are not advisable. Each assignment will be graded on a point system, depending on the percentage of
your grade. (For example, if a paper is worth 20% of your grade, you will get somewhere between 0 and 20 points.)
Five points will be taken off your grade each day a paper is turned in late. Please do not put late papers under my
office door. Instead, take them to the office staff in Philosophy and ask someone who works in the office to date
and initial the paper. If this is not done, I will count the paper late based on the day that I receive it.
8. Attendance is important. Please try not to miss classes, especially the guest lectures.
9. Plagiarism is a very serious matter and will be dealt with accordingly.
Grading is done on a point system in order to precise with the plus and minus system: A=95-100 points; A- =90-94
points; B+ =87-89; B= 83-86; B-=80-82; C+=77-79; C=73-76; C-=70-72; D+=67-69; D=63-66; D-=60-62, and
anything lower than 60 is an F. Grades will reflect the plus and minus system.
Class Schedule:
You should be prepared to discuss your reading assignments in class. You are expected to know the contents and
think critically. You are expected to come to class with two questions/topics prepared to share and discuss with the
class. This will earn you 5 points, which will be added to your attendance and class participation (see Assignments
Section). You will be called upon randomly at least once during the semester.
A rough draft or outline of your project/presentation may be turned in advance for critical feedback from your peers
(see schedule). I want you to have plenty of time to make any changes.
Note: You must check your WebCourse2 on a regular basis for updated materials and announcements.
Jan 13, 2015
Assignment:
Read:
Tuesday
Introduction
Read the following material for Thursday’s discussion (see “Files” Section on Webcourse2)
Syllabus, MLA Paper Guideline, and Citation Guidelines
PDF files:
“Cultural Identity and Diaspora” by Stuart Hall
Chapter in Identity: Community, Culture, Difference. Edited by Jonathan Rutherford.
London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1990. (15 pages)
Jan 15, 2015
Quiz 1:
Assignment:
Thursday
Lecture 1
Discuss PDF and Chapter 20
Quiz on MLA Paper Guideline and Citation Guidelines (the basics J don’t panic)
Read the following materials for next Tuesday’s discussion
Chapter 20
Chapter 22
The Baroque in the Protestant North (ca. 1550–1750)
Jan 20, 2015
Quiz 2:
Assignment:
Tuesday
Lecture 2
Discuss Chapters 20 and 22
Quiz on Syllabus and Cultural Identity PDF (the basics)
Read the following material for Thursday’s discussion
Chapter 21
Absolute Power and the Aristocratic Style (ca. 1550–1750)
Jan 22, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Lecture 3
Discuss Chapter 21 Part I
Read the following materials for next Tuesday’s discussion
Chapter 21
Absolute Power and the Aristocratic Style (ca. 1550–1750)
Chapter 23
The Scientific Revolution and the New Learning (ca. 1550–1750)
Jan 27, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Lecture 4
Discuss Chapters 21 Part II and 23
Read the following material for Thursday’s discussion:
Chapter 24
Jan 23, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Lecture 5
Discuss Chapters 23 and 24
Read the following materials for next Tuesday’s discussion: Chapter 25
PDF files:
“Orientalism Reconsidered” by Edward W. Said Cultural Critique, No. 1. (Autumn, 1985), pp. 89-107
URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0882-4371%28198523%290%3A1%3C89%3AOR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6
4 Jan 27, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Chapter 26
Lecture 6
Discuss PDF and Chapter 25
Jan 29, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Lecture 7
Chapter 26 Part II
Discuss Chapter 26 Part I
Feb 3, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Review 20-26
Lecture 8
Discuss Chapter 26 Part II
Film in Class
Feb 5, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Chapter 27
Lecture 9
Review Chapters 20-26 Film in Class
Exam 1 Essay Questions will be handed out to you (Chapters 20-26)
Feb 10, 2015
Tuesday
Lecture 10
Discuss Chapter 27
Exam 1 Multiple Choice Portion in Class
Assignment:
Chapter 28
Feb 12, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Chapter 29
No Class (I’ll be in NYC for CAA Conference)
Feb 17, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Chapter 30
Lecture 12
Discuss Chapter 29
Exam 1 Essay Due in Class
Research Paper Handout
Feb 19, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Chapter 31
Lecture 13
Discuss Chapter 30
Feb 24, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Chapter 32
Lecture 14
Discuss Chapter 31
Feb 26, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Review 27-31
Lecture 15
Discuss Chapter 32
Mar 3, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Review 27-31
Lecture 16
Review Chapters 27-31 Film in Class
Exam 2 Essay Questions will be handed out to you
Research Paper Peer Review Due in Class
Mar 5, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Chapter 33
Lecture 17
Peer Review Feedback Film in Class
Exam 2 Multiple Choice Portion will be given in class
Mar 9-14, 2015 Spring Break
Assignment:
Chapter 34
Please take your time and finish Exam 2 Essay
Mar 17, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Chapter 35
Lecture 18
Discuss Chapter 33 and 34
Exam 2 Essay Due in Class
Mar 19, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Chapter 36
Lecture 19
Discuss Chapter 35
5 Mar 24, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Chapter 37
Lecture 20
Discuss Chapter 36
Mar 26, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Chapter 38
Lecture 21
Discuss Chapter 37
Mar 31, 2015
Assignment:
Tuesday
Lecture 22
Review Chapters 32-38
Discuss Chapter 38
Apr 2, 2015
Assignment:
Thursday
Lecture 20
Review for Final Exam
Reviews Chapters 32-38
Exam 3 Questions will be handed out (Chapters 32-38)
Apr 7, 2015
Tuesday
Lecture 21
Review for Final Exam (Chapters 20-38)
Exam 3 Multiple Choice Portion in Class
Apr 9, 2015
Thursday
Exam 3 Essay Due in Class
Final Exam Multiple Choices Portion in Class
Final Exam Essay Portion will be handed out
April 14-16, 2015
No Class
I will be at Oxford University for a conference
Apr 21, 2015
Thursday
Presentation Group I
Research Paper Due
Apr 23, 2015
Tuesday
Presentation Group II
(7 x 10 min = 70 min + discussion)
Extra Credit Paper due
May 5, 2015
Thursday
Final Examination Date (1:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.)
Final Exam Essay Due in Class
(7 x 10 min = 70 min + discussion)
Presentation Group III
6 (15 x 10 min = 150 min + discussion)