HON 370: History of Ideas
Dr. Jacquelyn Scott Lynch
Principal Lecturer & Honors Faculty Fellow
Barrett, the Honors College
at Arizona State University
UCENT 166C
602-496-6787 (office)
480-965-6780 (voicemail)
Jacquie.Scott@asu.edu
Fall 2014 Office Hours
TTH 9:00 – 10:25 a.m.
and other days and times
by appointment
The History of Ideas is an advanced and intensive survey of key social and intellectual currents in the development
of humanity as reflected in both philosophical and creative works. Focusing on the dual theme of quest and
protest, this interdisciplinary seminar includes primary texts that reflect the human search for meaning from ancient
through contemporary time periods. Coursework emphasizes critical thinking and discussion, as well as
argumentative writing.
Learning Goals
This course is designed to promote each of the following aims, all of which are equally important:
1. Broaden the student’s cultural background (i.e., exposure) and historical awareness, particularly with
relation to philosophical modes of thought;
2. Cultivate critical, multidisciplinary perspectives, with an emphasis on the variety of ways in which
humans have engaged in knowledge-making;
3. Develop frameworks for self-directed learning and working within a pluralist, multicultural and complex
society;
4. Improve skills in a) close reading and critical discussion, and b) evaluation & construction of oral and
written arguments;
5. Prepare students for upper-level courses and thesis work in Barrett Honors College.
Required Texts: Translations vary; these editions are required even if you use an electronic version.
The Táin Bó Cúailgne. Translated by Thomas Kinsella. Oxford University Press.
The Inferno. Dante. Translated by Stanley Lombardo. Hackett.
Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. Bartoleme de las Casas. Translated by N. Griffin. Penguin.
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text. Mary Shelley. Oxford University Press.
Man’s Search for Meaning. Viktor Frankl. Translated by Ilse Lasch. Beacon Press.
Our HON370 blackboard (bb) at myAsu.edu features links to online readings and music, focus questions,
links for uploading essays to Safe Assignment, and other required course materials.
GRADED ASSIGNMENTS
Required assignments consist of weekly textual analyses (20%), quality participation in class discussions and
other in-class activities (30%), academic argument essays involving multiple drafts (40%), and learning project
module assignments (10%). You must complete all assignments to pass this class. Assignment and course letter
grades are based on this scale: 100-98.0=A+, 97.9-92.0=A, 91.9-90.0=A-, 89.9-88.0=B+, 87.9-82.0=B, 81.980.0=B-, 79.9-78.0=C+, 77.9-70.0=C, 69.9-60.0=D, 59 and below=E. Grading criteria for specific
components/assignments are posted on our class blackboard.
Textual Analyses (20%); these analytic exercises strengthen critical reading and writing skills while helping
students prepare for class discussion and formal essays. Students will post textual analysis responses to
their blackboard journals prior to the class for which they are due. Because these assignments aim to help
you prepare for class discussion, late responses will not earn credit. See the class blackboard for further
instructions.
Note: A syllabus is a contract. You are responsible for reading this document and asking any questions you may have
about the content within the first week of classes. By remaining enrolled in this course, you agree to abide by the
policies herein.
HON 370: History of Ideas
Fall 2014
Class Participation (30%). Students shape discussion and refine critical reading, thinking, and speaking
skills by bringing in discussion points and questions about the reading, participating in round-robin
concept or plot summaries, responding analytically to questions posed by the instructor and class
members, supporting ideas with textual or logical evidence, posing and addressing counter-arguments,
and building teamwork skills by supporting or challenging the ideas under consideration in a thoughtful,
respectful manner. Final participation grades will reflect the sum of your daily participation scores less any
deductions for excess absences or inappropriate use of electronic devices (policies detailed below).
Focus Questions posted on the class blackboard fuel critical thinking and class discussion by
helping students to read critically during their first encounter with a text; they help us look beyond
the surface plot or assertions for larger or more profound thematic concerns. Ideally, students will
think through the focus questions and take notes on their ideas before coming to class so that we
can get right into lively discussions, but focus question responses will not be turned in.
Knowledge Testing Activities such as History of Ideas Jeopardy reinforce key concepts and
information from our reading to encourage long-term retention.
Academic Argument Essay Assignments (50%) prepare students to excel at persuasive writing in
academic disciplines and professional activities.
Academic Argument Essays (40%)
These two essays (20% + 20%) require students to read and think critically, to synthesize course
material, and to craft logically sophisticated, textually-based arguments that adhere to the
conventions of academic prose. In addition to the paper copy due to my office on essay due
dates, you will be required to submit an electronic version of your formal papers to Blackboard
Safe Assignment.
Writing Workshops help students learn to draft, reflect upon, and revise their writing based upon
the kinds of peer response employees often encounter in the workplace. They also require class
members to read their peers’ work critically and to offer constructive criticism. These workshops
are mandatory; if you fail to submit required drafts by posted workshop deadlines, the grade for
the paper you submit in final form will be lowered by a full grade point (e.g., B to C).
Modular Learning Project Assignments (10%)
Barrett’s newly developed Human Event/History of Ideas Learning Project Modules (HELP)
provide students with illustrated models of human event and history of ideas writing standards.
Students will complete HELP assignments as they prepare to write their first formal History of
Ideas essay and will review specific modules as needed throughout the semester.
COURSE INFORMATION AND POLICIES
Honors Faculty Fellow Professional Ethics
The Barrett community is committed to upholding values of academic, professional and personal honesty of the
highest order. We believe that ethical and respectful behavior is one of the most important measures of the worth of
an individual and, as such, the overall integrity of our community as a whole.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
The History of Ideas requires students to generate and think through their own responses to primary texts;
consulting online or print outside resources for ideas – whether for textual analyses, class discussion, or essays –
violates this course’s academic integrity. Don’t do it. Presenting another person's language or ideas as your own
constitutes plagiarism. Don’t do it. ASU’s academic integrity policy can be found at <https://provost.asu.edu/
index.php?q=academicintegrity>. Repercussions for plagiarism on essays or textual analyses include failure of the
assignment AND failure of the course, and may include referral to the ASU Student Conduct Committee and
expulsion from the university. Plagiarism, the theft of intellectual property, is a serious crime that undermines
everything we are trying to accomplish in this course. If you have any questions, come talk to me.
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HON 370: History of Ideas
Fall 2014
Attendance
Attendance and preparation are extremely important in a discussion-based, collaborative learning class such as this
one, so the absence policy is strict: If you miss more than two classes, your final participation grade will drop by one
half letter grade per absence in excess of the first two (e.g., a third absence will cause a 90 to drop to an 85). Any
student who exceeds six absences will automatically receive a final course grade no higher than a C. Arriving late to
class will detrimentally affect your participation grade.
! Bring the assigned text to class each day; you will often be called upon to support your views with textual
evidence. If you do not have the text with you, you will not be prepared to participate fully and will receive a
zero for that day’s participation.
! If you must miss a class, make sure you check the class blackboard for announcements the following day
and contact a classmate to find out if you missed any announcements or changes to the class calendar. I
do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences, but feel free to let me know ahead of time
if you will be missing an upcoming class so that we can discuss plans for that session.
! Please follow the appropriate university policies to request an accommodation for religious practices or to
accommodate a missed assignment due to university sanctioned activities.
Electronic Devices in the Classroom
Students are welcome to use laptops or tablet computers for referencing texts in class, but the following rules apply:
! cell phones must be silent and remain out of sight; students may not use them for referencing texts.
! for days that our text is on blackboard (indicated by “bb” on the reading schedule) or our edition of a book
is available in electronic form (it MUST be the exact translation/edition), you may either print out the text or
bring it on a laptop or tablet, but electronic versions are acceptable only if you can and do annotate
them; and
! once class has started, reading email, checking social media, texting, etc. will result in an automatic, nonnegotiable 5% per incident drop in your class participation grade. If the temptation will be too great, play it
safe and print out the readings.
Due Dates and Late Assignments
Unless otherwise noted, readings and other assignments are due at the beginning of the class period indicated on
the syllabus and class blackboard. If you have a documented, valid excuse (serious illness, family emergency, etc.)
to turn in an assignment after a deadline, you must inform me as soon as possible prior to the due date. Otherwise,
formal papers turned in after the due date and time will receive a full letter grade penalty per calendar day late (a
paper due on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and turned in between that time and 4:00 on Saturday (submit via email over
weekends) will earn, for example, a C rather than a B). Late textual analyses will not receive credit.
Office Hours
Students are very welcome to make office appointments to discuss aspects of the course – for example, critical
reading strategies or advice on essay writing -- either individually or in small groups. I hold regularly scheduled
office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00–10:25 a.m., and I am available a variety of other times by
appointment. Keep in mind that I have 60+ honors students taking classes with me this semester in addition to
upper division students working on honors theses and national scholarship applications, so if you need to see me
on a particular day, it’s a good idea to make an appointment even during my set office hours. I will see students who
do not have appointments on a first-come basis after seeing those who’ve made appointments. To make an
appointment, see me before or after class, or email me – but I am typically free to reply to non-urgent email only
once a day M-F, so make sure to email me with as much advance notice as possible.
Multiculturalism at Barrett
Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, is committed to creating a multicultural learning
environment, which is broadly defined as a place where human cultural diversity is valued and respected. Barrett
courses integrate multicultural and diversity issues in ways that are designed to enhance students’ honors
experience and promote learning goals. We hope that our students will contribute their unique perspectives to this
effort by respecting others’ identities and personal life histories and by considering and raising issues related to
multiculturalism and diversity as appropriate to individual course content.
Course Content
Students in this class engage with material containing adult content that may include profane language and graphic
sexuality. If you have concerns regarding this aspect of the course, come see me during the first week of the
semester.
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HON 370: History of Ideas
Fall 2014
Student Code of Conduct
Students are entitled to receive instruction free from interference by other members of the class, and therefore all
students must conduct themselves according to the ASU policies posted online at https://eoss.asu.edu/dos. These
include the ASU Student Code of Conduct and the Provost’s Academic Integrity Policy. An instructor may withdraw
a student from the course when the student's behavior disrupts the educational process per “Instructor Withdrawal
of a Student for Disruptive Classroom Behavior”: <http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/ssm/ssm201-10.html>.
Students with Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (Public Law 101-336), reasonable accommodation will be
provided for students with physical, sensory, cognitive, systemic, learning and psychiatric disabilities. A student is
not required to identify herself or himself as having a disability. However, when requesting accommodation for a
disability the student must be registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) and submit appropriate
documentation from the DRC. For more information please visit the DRC website: https://eoss.asu.edu/drc/
The Barrett Writing Center
Directed by honors faculty and staffed by writing tutors, the Barrett Writing Center offers individual tutoring on
writing argumentative essays for the History of Ideas and the Human Event. More information is available via the
Barrett web site at <http://barretthonors.asu.edu/academics/barrett-writing-center/>.
Writing Materials
Please note that I may use submitted History of Ideas essays and essay materials to develop improved teaching
resources for current and future students. Student work will remain anonymous unless student authors request to
have their names appear on essays selected as models. If you have any questions about this policy, come talk to
me during the first week of the semester. Thank you!
To tell a story
in the proper way,
to hear a story told in the proper way—
that is a very old and sacred business,
and it is very good.
At that moment when we are drawn
into the element of language,
we are as intensely alive as we can be;
we create and we are created.
That existence in the maze of words
is our human condition. . . .
Our stories explain us, justify us,
sustain us, humble us,
and forgive us.
And sometimes they injure and destroy us.
Make no mistake, we are at risk
in the presence of words.
Perhaps the greatest stories are those
which disturb us,
which shake us from our complacency,
which threaten our well-being.
It is better to enter into the danger of such a story
than to keep safely away in a space
where the imagination lies dormant. . . .
Perhaps the central function of storytelling
is to reflect the forces, within and without us,
that govern our lives, both good and bad.
This is a very simple notion,
but it is profound.
Stories are pools of reflection
in which we see ourselves
through the prism of the imagination.
--N. Scott Momaday, from The Man Made of Words, 1997
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HON 370: History of Ideas
Fall 2014
Daily Schedule
To meet the emerging needs of the class, this schedule is subject to change;
any changes will be announced in class.
Complete all readings before class on the dates indicated below. Bring the assigned text to class each day, as you
will often be called upon to support your views with textual evidence. If you do not have the text, you will receive a
zero for that day’s participation. “bb” indicates that the text is accessible on our class blackboard.
Th Aug 21
Introduction to course
F Aug 22
Take the Syllabus & Seminar Participation Quiz on blackboard by 5:00 p.m. Friday. This
activity will require you to read carefully both the Syllabus and Seminar Participation Guidelines
(posted on blackboard under the Syllabus & Guidelines tab) to prepare for the quiz.
T Aug 26
Táin Bó Cúailgne, “Before the Táin” (1-50) and Táin (50-92)
Discuss Seminar Participation Guidelines (bb)
Th Aug 28
Táin (92-168)
T Sep 2
Táin (168-205). Extended textual analysis due.
Th Sep 4
Táin (205-253)
Optional: Augusta Gregory's translation of The Death of Cuchulainn (bb)
F Sep 5
Modular Learning Project: Complete Modular Learning Project Overview and Module A and Take
Module A Quizzes by 4:00 p.m.
T Sep 9
Homer, Iliad (bb)
Th Sep 11
Confucius, Analects (bb)
F Sep 12
Modular Learning Project: Complete Module C and Take Quizzes by 4:00 p.m.
T Sep 16
Sophocles, Antigone (bb)
Th Sep 18
Plato, Apology (bb)
F Sep 19
Modular Learning Project: Complete Module B and Take Quizzes by 4:00 p.m.
T Sep 23
Bhagavad-Gita (1-83)
Th Sep 25
Bhagavad-Gita (85-146)
F Sep 26
Modular Learning Project: Complete Module D and Take Quizzes by 4:00 p.m.
T Sep 30
Dante, Inferno
Th Oct 2
Essay Workshop
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HON 370: History of Ideas
T Oct 7
de las Casas, The Destruction of the Indies [1542]
Th Oct 9
Swift, "A Modest Proposal" [1729] (bb)
Essay I due to my office & to blackboard by 4:00 p.m.
T Oct 14
Fall Break
Th Oct 16
Kant, “What Is Enlightenment?” [1784] (bb)
T Oct 21
Shelley, Frankenstein [1818]
Th Oct 23
Shelley, Frankenstein [1818]
T Oct 28
Darwin, from Voyage of the Beagle (bb); Tennyson, “Ulysses” (bb)
Th Oct 30
Eugenics I (bb)
Fall 2014
Week 11
T Nov 4
Eugenics II (bb)
Th Nov 6
Phoenix Art Activity & Mahabharata Week
Week 12
T Nov 11
Veterans Day
Th Nov 13
Curie, Autobiographical Notes from Pierre Curie, Part II [1923] (bb)
T Nov 18
Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning; Levi, excerpt from Survival in Auschwitz (bb)
Th Nov 20
Hughes, “I, Too”; McKay, “The Lynching”; Hurston, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” [1928];
Meeropol, “Strange Fruit” [1937] performed by Holliday & Simone. “I Too” projects. (bb)
Week 14
T Nov 25
Gandhi, Selected Political Writings (bb) & Orwell, “Shooting an Elephant” [1936] (bb)
Th Nov 27
Thanksgiving
Week 15
T Dec 2
Bendjelloul, Searching for Sugar Man [2012] and essay workshop
Th Dec 4
Bendjelloul, Searching for Sugar Man [2012] and course evaluations
M Dec 7
Essay 2 due to blackboard by 10:00 a.m.
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