The Human Event
Hon 171
Instructor: John Parker
Office: Irish 223
Phone: 727.5545
Email: john.parker@asu.edu
Office Hours:
SLN: TBA
3 Credits
Tues, Thurs
Course Overview and Objectives: This course aims to expose students to some
of the most influential ideas produced in the course of human history, and
through sustained critical inquiry, to allow them to consider these ideas in
relation to their own lives and contemporary society. During the semester
students will be introduced to a wide range of philosophy and literature from
around the world, with the goal of broadening their appreciation of the role
history and cultural diversity play in the development of intellectual thought. All
class readings are drawn from primary texts. Topics to be covered include the
relationship of humanity to divinity, the relationship of the individual to society,
and ethical responsibilities to others and to one’s self. Students will be challenged
to reflect critically, both orally and in written form, on the nature and relevance
of these topics. Students can expect to gain an enhanced ability to comprehend
and synthesize complex written materials, and greater proficiency in expressing
ideas orally and in writing. Such an intense intellectual undertaking will not only
allow students to live more informed, self-reflexive lives, but will also aid them
in developing the intellectual breadth and academic discipline required for
success in future scholarly endeavors. The first of two related courses on the
subject, HON 171 covers materials from the furthest reaches of antiquity to the
Western Renaissance.
Course Requirements:
Quizzes
In-Class Participation
Term Papers
10%
30%
60%
Grade Structure: A+=100-99; A=98-93; A-=92-90; B+=89-88; B=87-83; B-=82-80;
and so on…
Quizzes: Pop quizzes constitute 10% of the course grade, with up to 10 such quizzes
given over the course of the semester. Quiz format will consist of several short essay
questions. Essay topics will include summaries of important ideas, conceptual
syntheses, and critical reflections on materials covered during the course.
Quizzes will be graded on a scale of 1-10. I will not allow make-up quizzes
without advanced notice or a reasonable excuse.
Class Participation: Participation in class discussions comprises 30% of the course
grade, and is a fundamental component of the class. Only through meaningful
participation can students’ ability to discuss issues and engage in critical debate
be improved. The cornerstone of class participation is careful preparation for
class discussions. Doing well in this course demands you read all material
religiously and thoroughly. Expect to spend at least 2-3 hours outside of class
reading in preparation for daily discussions. Careful notes should be taken
when reading to aid in comprehension and to facilitate later discussion. Class
participation grades are based on several factors, including 1) preparedness for
class discussions, including our two tribunals 2) the student’s ability to
contribute substantively to class discussions and debates in a manner
demonstrating an intimate knowledge of course materials, and 3) the student’s
ability to lead class discussions. Each day a different student will be assigned to
develop several discussion questions and lead the seminar the following class
meeting. Assessments of the quality of discussion questions will be based on the
originality of their insights and their ability to draw out important themes from
the text during class discussion. Questions will be presented to the class by the
responsible student at least 48 hours ahead of time via Blackboard. Attendance
is the final component of class participation. Any student missing more than
two classes without prior consent or a reasonable excuse will be subject to a
loss of participation points.
Term Papers: Three 5 page term papers make up the remaining 60% of the
course grade. The first term paper is worth only 10% of your grade. This is to
allow students to become familiar with the paper format without being
penalized too harshly on their first essay. The remaining two essays are each
worth 25% of your overall grade for the course. Term papers should be written in
Times New Roman format (12pt font, double-spaced, one-inch margins). I will
make a number of topics available from which students can choose. I will also
consider topics students develop themselves. Upon request I may agree to
comment on early drafts of term papers. All papers should follow MLA
guidelines (www.mla.org/). Papers are due by 3:00 on Sept 30th, Nov 4th and
Dec. 6th.
EXTRA CREDIT: I would like us to approach the texts in this course as living
documents capable of speaking to contemporary issues. Students can earn
between 1-3% points of extra credit by drawing meaningful connections between
course materials and current events. A few minutes at the beginning of each class
will be allocated for such discussions. The amount of extra credit given will be
determined by the ability of the student to draw insightful connections between
the current event and the text(s) being considered the same day.
Term Paper Evaluation: Hon 171 emphasizes the development of critical
thinking and argumentative writing skills. Evaluation of term papers will thus be
based on students’ ability to develop a clearly articulated argument and marshal
evidence from the text(s) in support of their claims. Quality argumentative
essays share several common characteristics. The first of these is a coherent,
compelling thesis statement clearly describing the argumentative position the
student will take vis-à-vis the essay topic. The thesis statement is at the heart of
any well composed essay. Secondly, quality essays follow a logical progression,
moving from the introduction of the topic through the body of supporting
evidence to final conclusions. The introduction should identify the essay topic,
relay your thesis statement, and explain the significance of the issue you are
addressing. The body of the essay is devoted to constructing a sustained
argument in defense of your thesis statement. In this section you will use
evidence from the text(s) to support your claims. Each paragraph should
contribute to your overall argument, and flow logically from the introduction
and from preceding paragraphs. Be sure to address any potential objections the
reader may have to your argument. The conclusion should synthesize evidence
put forth in the body in support of your thesis, allowing you to reiterate and
qualify your thesis statement. Third, quality essays allocate proper credit for
ideas through careful citation of the text(s). As this course is based on analyses of
primary texts you are not allowed to use outside sources in your essays. Finally,
quality essays exhibit proper grammar and a coherent organizational structure.
Essays demonstrating improper grammar and organization will be graded
accordingly.
The Barrett Writing Center is available to assist Barrett students with their
papers for all their classes. Directed by BHC faculty and staffed by BHC writing
tutors who themselves have completed both HON 171 and 172, the Barrett
Writing Center offers individual tutoring on writing papers for the Human Event
and your other courses. Its goal is to help you improve your lifelong writing and
critical thinking skills, so please take advantage of its services. Go to the BWC
web site at http://honors.asu.edu/ and click on "Resources for Current
Students." Under Barrett Writing Center, you then can access tutoring schedules,
appointment information, and academic background on the staff.
On Plagiarism: Plagiarism means stealing or passing off the work of another as if
it were one’s own. Plagiarism undermines our course objectives, and strict
repercussions will follow for any such offense. Students caught engaging in
plagiarism can expect to fail the course. All cases of plagiarism will be turned
over to university administration for the possible application of further penalties.
Student Conduct: Students must conduct themselves according to the ASU
policies posted online at http://www.asu.edu/studentlife/judicial. These
include the ASU Student Code of Conduct and the Student Academic Integrity
Policy. For information on BHC policies for grievances and grade complaints, go
the BHC web page at http://honors.asu.edu and follow the links for Prospective
and Current Students, then Advising and Honors Curriculum, then Academic
Advising Office, then Student Academic Grievance Procedures.
Office Hours: I am available during regularly scheduled office hours, but will
make time to meet with you if you are unavailable during these periods. Please
do not hesitate to contact me with such a request.
Additional Notes: The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus
during the semester. The student agrees to this by registering and remaining in
the course. Also, if you have any special needs or disabilities see me after the
first class so that we can make arrangements. Student must turn off cell phones
during class. Students responsible for continual distractions during class in this
regard may be subject to a loss of in-class participation points.
Required Texts:
Confucius, Analects (Penguin ISBN 0140443487)
Dante, Inferno (Signet Classic 2001), John Ciardi trans.; 0-451-52798-4
The Bhagavad-Gita (Penguin Classics 1962), Juan Mascaro trans.; 0-14-044121-2
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (Vintage 1989), J. English trans.; 0-679-72434-6
Plato. The Republic. Trans. C.D.C. Reeve. Indianapolis and Cambridge: Hackett, 2004
Machiavelli, The Prince, (Dover publications, 1992); 0486272745
Sun Tzu, The Art of War (Dover publications, 2002); 0486425576
Marlowe, Dr Faustus (Dover ISBN 0486282082)
Class Schedule:
Aug 18: Introduction to the Course
Section One: Divinity and the Moral Life
Aug 23: Book of Job (King James Version—available online if you don’t have a
copy)
Aug 25: Lao Tzu, The Tao te Ching (pp. v-xxxii, 3-26)
Aug 30: Lao Tzu, The Tao te Ching (pp. 27-83)
Sept 1: Confucius, The Analects (books 1-10)
Sept 6: Confucius, The Analects (books 11-20)
Sept 8: Mo Tzu (Handout)
Sept 13: Bhagavad-Gita (pp. 9-68)
Sept 15: Bhagavad-Gita (pp. 69-122)
Sept 20: Plato, Phaedo available online
Sept 22: Ibn Khaldun, (Handout)
Sept 27: Prepare for first tribunal
Sept 29: Tribunal 1
Sept 30: First term paper due by 3:00
Section Two: Society and Statecraft
Oct 4: Plato, The Republic (books 1-4)
Oct 6: Plato, The Republic (books 5-7)
Oct 11: Plato, The Republic (books 8-10)
Oct 13: Sun Tzu, The Art of War (books 1-7)
Oct 18: Sun Tzu, The Art of War (books 8-13), Kautilya, The Arthashastra Handout
Oct 20: Machiavelli, The Prince (books 1-10)
Oct 25: Machiavelli, The Prince (books 11-26)
Oct: 27: Prepare for tribunal 2
Nov 1: Tribunal 2
Nov 3: NO CLASS!!! Professor attending meetings of the Society for Social
Studies of Science
Nov 4: Second term paper due by 3:00
Section Three: Literary Traditions
Nov 8: Homer, The Odyssey (books 1-8)
Nov 10: Homer, The Odyssey (books 8-16)
Nov 15: Homer, The Odyssey (books 16-24)
Nov 17: Dante, The Inferno (cantos 1-11)
Nov 22: Dante, The Inferno (cantos 12-23)
Nov 24: No Class!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Nov 29: Dante, The Inferno (cantos 24-34)
Dec 1: Marlowe, Dr. Faustus (All)
Dec 6: Reflections: What have we Learned?
Dec 7: Final term paper due (3:00)