History 105 - Civilization in the West First Year Experience Course

229 Palmer Hall Blocks 1 and 2, 2011

Professor Kris Pangburn Office: 215F Palmer Hall Email: kris.pangburn@coloradocollege.edu Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 12:15-1:45 pm and by appointment Mentor: Sam Brasch (samuel.brasch@coloradocollege.edu) This two-block course examines the history of Europe and the Mediterranean world by focusing on how writers from earliest historical times to the present have viewed civilization in the West. Class readings are drawn from a wide range of disciplines including philosophy, theology, literature, political theory and psychology. Based on our analysis of ancient, medieval and modern texts, we will attempt to answer some of the following questions:

What are some of the core Western values and how did they originate? Is there a specifically Western concept of freedom? of morality? Has Western civilization gone further to liberate people or repress them? Has it made people morally better – or gradually corrupted them? Is it geared more towards peace or hostility? Is it progressing or regressing? How can it be improved?

Readings Perry, Western Civilization: A Brief History, 7th ed (Wadsworth) 9780495901150 The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin) 9780140441000 Plato, The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin) 9780140449280 Tacitus, Agricola and Germania (Penguin) 9780140455403 Augustine, Confessions (Oxford World's Classics) 9780199537822 Strassburg, Tristan (Penguin) 9780140440980 Machiavelli, The Prince (Penguin) 9780140449150 Las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (Penguin) 9780140445626 Rousseau, Discourse on Inequality (Penguin) 9780140444391 Zola, The Ladies’ Paradise (Oxford World’s Classics) 9780199536900 Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents (Norton) 9780393304510 Camus, The Stranger (Vintage) 9780679720201 * All other readings specified on the syllabus will be distributed to students in a course packet Grading Participation (incl. discussion leadership) 15% Short essays 10% Paper #1 7.5% Paper #2 15% Paper #3 15% Research paper 20% Mid-term exam 7.5% Final exam 10%

2  

Instructions for the papers will be given in class. Please make sure that you follow the honor code while writing your essays and confirm your adherence by writing “Honor Code Upheld” and signing your name at the end of each assignment. Students taking the course pass/fail must complete all assignments! For our course to succeed, it is vital that everyone attend class every day. Please be on time, and make sure that you have turned off cell phones and computers. In addition, you should take advantage of “official” breaks for personal needs. Reading assignments are due on the day they are assigned. Be sure to come to class prepared to discuss the day’s assignment. Students are expected to read with care and imagination, annotating their texts thoughtfully and sharing their perspectives generously. If you have a disability and require accommodations for this course, please speak with me privately as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, you will need to register with Disability Services (Learning Commons at Tutt Library, Room 152, 227-8285). Course Schedule Class meetings will begin at 9:30 am unless otherwise noted. Mon, 9/5: 9:00 - 10:20 am: Convocation at Shove Chapel 10:30 am - 12:00 pm: Did the West Have a Head Start? 12:00 pm: First-Day Welcome Picnic (NSO Tent)  

Tues, 9/6: The Near Eastern Origins of Western Culture – SHORT ESSAY DUE IN CLASS

Perry, Chs. 1 and 2 The Epic of Gilgamesh (2000s BCE) Excerpts from the Hebrew Scriptures (500s BCE)

Wed, 9/7: The Rise of Greece: Athens vs. Sparta

Perry, begin Ch. 3 (read to p. 45 to the end of “Cleisthenes, the Democrat”) Nagle, The Ancient World - Excerpt #1 Plutarch, excerpts from Life of Solon and Life of Lycurgus (127 CE) Xenophon, On the Spartan Constitution (c. 400 BCE)

* 6:00 pm: Dinner at Kris’ apartment, 1140 N. Cascade Ave., #5 * Thurs, 9/8: Greece’s Golden Age

Perry, continue Ch. 3 (read to p. 62 to the end of “Thucydides”) Nagle, The Ancient World - Excerpt #2 Thucydides, “Pericles’ Funeral Oration” and “Melian Dialogue” (431 BCE)

Fri, 9/9: Moral Crisis in Defeated Athens

Plato, Euthyphro, Apology and Crito (370 BCE)

3  

Mon, 9/12: The Hellenistic Age: A Fusion of East and West? – PAPER #1 DUE IN CLASS Perry, finish Ch. 3 Cartledge, “Alexander the Great: Hunting for a New Past?” Tarn, excerpts from Alexander the Great (1948)

* 11:00-12:15 pm: Session with Tracy Santa, Director of the Writing Center * (Meet at TLC #3 in Tutt Library)

Tues, 9/13: The Roman Republic Perry, begin Ch. 4 (read to p. 83 to the end of “Culture in the Republic”) Nagle, The Ancient World - Excerpt #3

Holland, “The Paradoxical Republic” Plutarch, excerpts from Life of Cato the Elder (127 CE) Wed, 9/14: Collapse of the Republic and Birth of the Empire Perry, continue Ch. 4 (read to p. 95 to the end of “Entertainment”) Nagle, The Ancient World - Excerpt #4 Suetonius, excerpts from Life of Caesar (110 CE)

Thurs, 9/15: Romans vs. Barbarians – SHORT ESSAY DUE IN CLASS

Perry, finish Ch. 4 Tacitus, Agricola and Germania (89 CE)

Fri, 9/16: Early Christians: Social Revolutionaries? Perry, Ch. 5 Teachings of Jesus (c. 100 CE) The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity (c. 200 CE)

* 1:00-3:30 pm: FILM, The Passion of the Christ (2004) at Cornerstone Arts Center * Mon, 9/19: Augustine and the Medieval Worldview – SHORT ESSAY DUE IN CLASS

Augustine, Confessions (398), Intro; Books 1-2, 5-9 Tues, 9/20: Europe after Rome’s Collapse

Perry, begin Ch. 6 (read to p. 141 to the end of “Agrarian Society”) Einhard, Life of Charlemagne (830) Monk of St. Gall, excerpt from Life of Charlemagne (884)

Wed, 9/21: The Carolingian Renewal

Begin Strassburg, Tristan (1210), Prologue, Chs. 1-9

4  

Thurs, 9/22: Commercial and Cultural Upsurge of the 12th Century Perry, finish Ch. 6; begin Ch. 7 (read to p. 168 to the end of “Architecture”)

Continue Tristan, Chs. 10-19 In-class reading: Capellanus, excerpts from The Art of Courtly Love (1174)

Fri, 9/23: Tristan and the Medieval Romance Finish Tristan, Chs. 20-40

* 11:30 am-1:30 pm: LUNCH AND FILM, Tristan & Isolde (2006) *

Mon, 9/26: The Waning of the Middle Ages Perry, finish Ch. 7

Aberth, selections from The Black Death: A Brief History with Documents

Tues, 9/27: NO CLASS – PAPER #2 DUE BY 5:00 PM Wed, 9/28: MID-TERM EXAM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - BLOCK BREAK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mon, 10/3: Humanists: Moving Forward by Looking Backward? Perry, begin Ch. 8 (read to p. 196 to the end of “The Renaissance and the Modern Age”)

In-class reading: Petrarch, “The Allegorical Ascent of Mount Ventoux” (1336)

* 1:00-2:15 pm: Session with Daryl Alder, History Research Librarian * (Meet at TLC2 in Tutt Library)

Tues, 10/4: Machiavelli and the Italian Renaissance Machiavelli, The Prince (1513) Wed, 10/5: The Protestant Reform of Religion and Family Life

Perry, finish Ch. 8 Ozment, excerpts from Protestants: The Birth of a Revolution

Luther, “A Sermon on the Estate of Marriage” (1519) Roper, “Luther: Sex, Marriage and Motherhood” Thurs, 10/6: The Spanish and Portuguese Conquests – SHORT ESSAY DUE IN CLASS

Perry, Ch. 9 Las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (1542)

5  

Fri, 10/7: The Scientific Revolution: Reason Triumphant? Perry, begin Ch. 10 (read to p. 248 to end of “The Meaning of the Scientific Revolution”)

Descartes, excerpts from Discourse on Method (1637) * 1:00-3:30 pm: FILM, The Enigma of Caspar Hauser (1974) at Cornerstone Arts Center *

Mon, 10/10: Rousseau on Reason and Progress – PROSPECTUS DUE IN CLASS Perry, finish Ch. 10

Rousseau, Discourse on Inequality (1755), 77-137

Tues, 10/11: The French Revolution: Creating Virtue through Terror?

Perry, Ch. 11 Documents relating to the French Revolution Linton, “Robespierre and the Terror” Character sketch of Robespierre

* 11:45 am-1:00 pm: LUNCH AND FILM, “David” from The Power of Art * Wed, 10/12: NO CLASS – WRITING DAY

Thurs, 10/13: The Liberal Dream of Freedom – PAPER #3 DUE IN CLASS

Perry, begin Ch. 12 (read to p. 305 to the end of “Liberalism”), Chs. 13 and 14 In-class reading: Article from The Economist (1851)

Fri, 10/14: Socialism and Communism Perry, finish Ch. 12; Ch. 15 Marx and Engels, excerpts from The Communist Manifesto (1848)

Begin Zola, The Ladies’ Paradise (1883), Chs. 1-3 Mon, 10/17: Capitalism and Consumerism

Finish The Ladies’ Paradise, Chs. 4-14

Tues, 10/18: World War I and the Russian Revolution

Perry, Chs. 16, 18 Begin Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents (1929), Chs. 1-3

Wed, 10/19: Freud’s Diagnosis of Civilization’s Ills – SHORT ESSAY DUE IN CLASS Perry, Ch. 17 Finish Civilization and Its Discontents, Chs. 4-8

6  

Thurs, 10/20: Totalitarian Nightmares Perry, Ch. 19

Begin Camus, The Stranger (1942), Part I In-class reading: Mussolini, excerpts from “Doctrine of Fascism” (1932)

* 11:30 am-1:30 pm: LUNCH AND FILM, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) *

Fri, 10/21: Is Western Civilization Exhausted? Perry, Ch. 20

Finish The Stranger, Part II

* 2:30-9:00 pm: Trip to Denver Art Museum followed by dinner * Meet at the parking lot on the side of Armstrong Hall near Shove Chapel

Mon, 10/24: NO CLASS – WRITING DAY Tues, 10/25: NO CLASS – RESEARCH PAPER DUE BY 5:00 PM Wed, 10/26: FINAL EXAM