Inhabiting Other Lives: Who Are We?
The Honors College, Florida International University
IDH 2003 ☼ Fall 2010
Instructors: Rubén Garrote, Mary Lou Pfeiffer, José Vilanova
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 9:30 AM – 10:45AM
Classrooms and Professor Contacts:
Lecture/large-group classes meet on Tuesdays in: RB Room 140
Discussion/small-group classes meet on Thursdays as follows:
Professor Rubén Garrote, MA: Room TBA
Office hours: Tu 12:30-13:00 or by appointment
DM 240, garroter@fiu.edu, (305) 348-1620
Professor Mary Lou Pfeiffer, LL.M., MA Faculty and Fellow: Room GC 278A
Office hours: Tu 08:30-09:00 (AM); Wed 09:30-10:30 (AM), by appointment
DM 233, pfeiffer@fiu.edu, (305) 348-4100; fax 305-348-2118
Professor Vilanova, JD: Room TBA
Office Hours: By appointment
DM 233, jose.vilanova@fiu.edu, (306) 348-2227
Course Overview:
This second year Honors course deals with “inhabiting other lives” by examining
epistemological references of the self and others through the human experience. In the process of
discovering “who are we,” the course explores the hermeneutics that define “us and them,” and
the mechanisms that are reflections from the materials presented to the students. Thus we
deconstruct ourselves to form and inform our experiences of the other and the different.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
ƒ demonstrate an understanding of “the self” and others as constructed through the building
blocks that define us as presented in the classes
ƒ gain a multi-disciplinary view of “us and them” through referencing global cultures and
the diversity of the place we call home, planet Earth,
ƒ articulate and synthesize information from the course materials through written exercises
and projects conducted throughout the two semesters
Required Texts:
1. Deep Ancestry, Inside the National Geographic Project Spencer Wells, New York:
National Geographic, ISBN 978-1-4262-0118-9
2. God’s Brain, Lionel Tiger and Michael McGuire, Knopf, 2010 0-679-43785-1
3. Online: Selections from Persian Letters (gutenberg.com) by Lettres persanes (Persian
Letters, 1721) by · Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat, baron de, 1689-1755 (English
version) [Also available in paperback Penguin book: ISBN 0-14-044281-2
Posted in Moodle:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak and Ann Turner Trace Your Roots, PPT/PDF
E. O. Wilson, Consilience, Chaps 1-4, 7 Online
“Epistemology”
“Stories and Lies, Using Creation Narratives”
Thomas Nagel “What is it like to be a bat?” [PDF] 24
Family tree template posted online: Family Tree
www.myheritage.com
7. Links:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.
html
8. Article posted in Moodle from Dr. JC Espinosa, Rorty’s “Against Unity”
Web-Assisted by Moodle:
This is a web-assisted course using the learning management system Moodle. Assignments,
electronic readings, the discussion board, quizzes, video, music and supplementary material
including PDF files will be found there. For more information on Moodle and e-Campus,
visit http://ecampus.fiu.edu/.
Attendance/Classroom Etiquette
Attendance is required and will be reflected in the final grade. All students are expected to be on
time to class and to remain in class for the duration of the lecture. Material will be covered in
class that is not covered in the readings, thus each absence will negatively affect the student’s
ability to do well on assignments. Work not submitted on time will lose points. Unexcused late
arrivals and early departures will be counted as absences.
Course Requirements:
Deadlines for all assignments including the final project are posted in Moodle. Late work will
not be accepted and will be assessed a “0” (zero) grade.
Participation (20 percent)
The course will be conducted as a seminar. Students are expected to come to class prepared and
to fully participate in the discussions. This course requires that students submit written
reflections on the assigned reading materials, as well as lectures and movies shown. All written
work must consistently adhere to a writing style manual of the student’s choice (e.g., Chicago,
Turabian, MLA, etc.). Students are advised to carefully proofread all papers before submitting
them. Students with deficient writing skills should consult the university’s free tutoring services:
On-Campus Learning Center: PC 247; Online Learning Center: w3.fiu.edu.
Family Tree: (20 percent)
Construct a genealogy- (family tree) of your origins from the websites listed, or make your own.
Templates are provided from www.myheritage.com website. Other information can be obtained
from family members, www.ellisisland.org www.findagrave.com, www.familysearch.org, the
Social Security Death Index. We will discuss types of trees or charts in class. Include in your
information, geographical locations, economics and languages spoken, if possible.
Analytical Response Papers (30 percent)
Students are required to respond in writing to a posed inquiry or problem that evolves from the
presented course materials. Response papers are to be submitted through Moodle on or before
the indicated deadline date and time (posted below). Each of these five (5) written responses
should be/contain: a minimum 350 words; double-line space; student’s name, student’s panther
id, and submission date.
Final Project (30 percent)
Each student is required to keep a creative, analytical, reflective journal throughout the fall that
can be scanned into a PDF at the end of the semester. (Note: this is not a paper.) Periodically,
throughout the semester, students will be required to bring their journals to class for discussions.
Grading scale:
A (94-100) A- (90-93) B+ (87-89) B (84-86) B- (80-83) C+ (77-79) C (74-76) C- (70-73) D+
(67-69) D (64-66) D- (60-63) F(62-0)
Honors College Citizenship Requirement:
Honors College students are expected to be good Honors College citizens. To find out more
about your citizenship requirements, visit http://honors.fiu.edu/current_policy_citizenship.htm.
Please note you are expected to attend six Honors events per semester. This semester you are
required to attend Convocation (September 30) and two of three colloquia scheduled for BBC or
MMC. Please check the calendar often: http://honors.fiu.edu/events_upcoming.htm
Academic Misconduct:
Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting
knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of
ideas, and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable
opportunity to learn and honestly demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all
students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect
for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students
are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic
misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as
outlined in the Student Handbook. All students must adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy of
The Honors College and Florida International University.
Registration in this course implies an acceptance of and compliance with the Honors College
policies for students and the FIU Code of Academic Integrity. Please refer to the following
documents for additional information:
FIU Code of Academic Integrity - http://www.fiu.edu/~dwyere/academicintegrity.html
FIU Honors College Student Handbook – http://honors.fiu.edu/handbook0910.html
FIU Honors College Plagiarism Policy http://honors.fiu.edu/current_policy_plagiarism.html
__________________________________________________________________________
Fall 2010 Weekly Schedule
Week 1 Introduction
August
Tu 8/24- Course Introduction
Meet the professors; discussion of course syllabus and expectations
Th 8/26- Continue course introduction in small groups
Reading assignment: “Epistemology” posted online
Week 2 Epistemology
Tu 8/31 Lecture by Professor Garrote: “What is Knowledge? An Introduction to Epistemology”
Th 9/02- Discussion of Prof. Garrote’s lecture
Reading assignment for Week 3: Consilience Chaps 1-4, 7 (posted in Moodle)
Week 3 The Unity of Knowledge – Wilson’s Consilience Project
Tu 9/07- Lecture by Professor Prof. Garrote
Th 9/9‐ Discussion of Prof. Garrote’s lecture Reading assignment for Week 4: Richard Rorty “Against Unity” (posted in Moodle) Week 4 The Unity and Disunity of Knowledge
Tu 9/14] Lecture by Professor JC Espinosa, “The Disunity of Knowledge”
Th 9/16 Discussion of Espinosa Lecture
Reading assignment for Week 5: “Stories and Lies…”
Assignment Due: First Response Paper 9/19 at 12:00 Week 5 The Created Self Tu 9/21 Lecture by Prof. Vilanova, “Stories and Lies…” Th 9/23 Discussion of Prof. Vilanova’s lecture Reading assignment: Tiger/McGuire’s God’s Brain Week 6 The Body, The Self, The Brain
Tu 9/28 Lecture, Prof. Pfeiffer “Anatomy of the Brain and God’s Brain
Th 9/30- Discussion of Pfeiffer’s lecture; HONORS CONVOCATION, required attendance
Week7 The Body, The Self, The Brain
October
Tu 10/05- Lecture- Professor Pfeiffer podcast with Tiger and McGuire
Th 10/07- Discussion from Prof. Pfeiffer’s lecture
Reading/Viewing assignment for Week 8: Jill Bolte Taylor’s “Stroke of Insight” (posted
in Moodle) and Bourdieu PDF (posted in Moodle)
Week 8 The Body, The Self, The Mind
Tu 10/14 Lecture by Prof. Vilanova “How the Mind Constructs the Self”
Th 10/16 Discussion from Prof. Vilanova’s lecture
Reading assignment: Thomas Nagel’s “What is it like to be a bat?”
Assignment Due: Second Response Paper
Week 9 Constructing and Understanding Ourselves and the “Other”
Tu 10/19- Professor Bruce Hauptli “Can we inhabit other lives?” PDF 24 “What is it like to be a
bat?”
Th 10/21- Discussion of Prof. Hauptli’s lecture
Reading assignment for Week 10 to be posted
Week 10 How the Mind Constructs the ‘Other’
Tu 10/26- Lecture by Prof. Garrote
Th 10/28- Discussion of Prof. Garrote’s lecture
November
Week 11 Constructing and Understanding The Other
Tu 11/02
Assignment Due: Third Response Paper
Th 11/04-Discussion
Reading assignment for Week 12, Selections from Persian Letters
Daylight Savings ends 11/07
Week 12 Constructing and Understanding The Other
Tu 11/09 Guest lecturer, Dr. Sharon Placide
Selections from Persian Letters
Th 11/11- (Veteran’s Day, University closed)
Weeks 13 Constructing the Other, DNA/Roots
Tu 11/16 Lecture by Prof. Pfeiffer, “Genes, Culture and Tracing Your Roots”
Th 11/18 Discussion from Prof. Pfeiffer’s lecture
Assignment Due: Fourth Response Paper
Week 14 Constructing the Other, Root: Family Tree
Tu 11/23 Lecture by Prof. Pfeiffer and showing Journey of Man
Th 11/25- Thanksgiving Holiday, No class
Week 15
Tu 11/30 Complete Journey of Man; Combined lecture: moving into spring
Th 12/02 Final class meeting
Assignment Due: Fifth Response Paper
Final Exams schedule
Tu 12/07
Assignment Due: Final Project – Journal