| Requirements |
Students submit a series of thought pieces as part of an electronic
forum, two group summaries, and a primary source-based analytical
essay (12-15 pages due on Monday, May 9). The essay can examine
1) a thinker or artist, 2) a movement such as Romanticism, Expressionism,
Existentialism, or Structuralism, 3) the development of a particular
idea or concept, 4) ways various types of expression interconnect
to express modes of thought and perception, or 5) cultural responses
to social and political realities or spectacular events. In addition,
students take a written final examination at the end of the second
block of the course.
Reading and discussion form the core of the class. You are expected
to come prepared to respond to the material and to others in a
collective exploration of the texts and the issues that they raise.
Because of the importance of discussion, missing class is not
an option.
|
|
| Class
Sessions |
| *post before class |
** post after class |
| Subject of the session |
Work |
|
The Era of Revolution (1780-1870)
|
| Mon., Mar. 28 |
Ideas and
History |
| Tues., Mar. 29 |
The French
and Industrial Revolutions
Begin Hegel |
Wed., Mar. 30 |
Hegel: Introduction to the Philosophy of History |
| Thurs., Mar. 31 |
Romanticism: "Frankenstein"
(B on Wed., A on Thurs.) |
Fri., Apr. 1 |
Darwin: The Origin of Species *
|
| Begin
Flaubert |
Mon., Apr. 4
Tues., Apr. 5
|
Flaubert: Madame Bovary |
Realism: "Age of Reason/Age
of Passion" and "Daumier's France"(B on Mon., A on
Tues.)
Essay Proposals Due
Begin Marx readings |
Wed., Apr. 6
Thurs., Apr. 7 |
Marx: Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts and
Communist Manifesto * |
Fri., Apr. 8
|
Impressionism and Symbolism
Group work: Hegel/Flaubert/Marx/Darwin-Reason
and order-what you see is... |
|
The Revolt Against
Reason (1870-1920)
|
| Mon., Apr. 11 |
The stress of triumph: dissolving
certainties
Group Essay Due |
| Read
Nietzsche |
Tues., Apr. 12
Wed., Apr. 13
|
Nietzsche: Thus Spoke Zarathurstra **
Redefining space: " The Landscape
of Pleasure" (B on Tues., A on Wed.) |
Thurs., Apr. 14
|
Freud: The Ego and the Id |
Fri., Apr 15 |
Cubism and Futurism |
| Essay
Outlines Due |
| Read
Bergson: I-VII |
Mon., Apr. 18 |
Bergson: The Creative Mind * |
| Tues., Apr. 19 |
Begin Woolf
" The Grand Illusion" The Great War (B on Mon., A on
Tues.)
|
Wed., Apr. 20
|
The Great War and the Intellectuals |
|
Read Woolf
Outline Critiques Due
|
|
|
Mon., Apr. 25 |
Woolf: To the Lighthouse |
| a & b, a.m. & p.m. |
Tues., Apr. 26
Wed., Apr. 27
|
Gramsci: The Modern Prince*
Group work: Nietzsche/Freud/Bergson/Woolf/Gramsci |
Thurs., Apr. 28 |
All that is real is not rational |
| Nietzsche/Freud/Bergson/Woolf/Gramsci |
Fri., Apr. 29 |
Ideas at war: Fascism, Communism, and Liberalism |
| Read
Sartre |
|
Meaning and Absurdity (1920-1980)
|
| Mon., May 2 |
Sartre: Nausea |
| Tues., May 3 |
Dadaism, Expressionism, Surrealism: "The Shape of Dissent"
and "The Threshold of Liberty" (B on Tues., A on Wed.)
Read Marcuse
|
| Wed., May 4 |
Marcuse I: One-Dimensional
Man* |
| Discuss
pts. 1-7 |
Thurs., May 5
Fri., May 6
|
Marcuse II |
| Discuss
pts. 8-10 |
Mon., May 9 |
Mass culture in the new society |
| Essays
Due |
| |
| Tues., May 10 |
Seeing is not believing
Baudrillard
(on line)
Read Calvino
Film: "The Matrix"
|
| Wed., May 11 |
Calvino: If On a Winter's
Night... |
| Thurs., May 12 |
Group work: Sartre/Marcuse/Calvino |
Fri., May 13 |
Beyond reason and order* |
Sartre/Marcuse/Calvino
Read Foucault(!!) |
Mon., May 16 |
Foucault I |
|
Discuss Preface, 2-3, 7
|
| Tues., May 17 |
Foucault II
Discuss 8-10 |
Wed., May 18 |
Final Examination |
|
