INTRODUCTORY SYLLABUS (tentative)Fall 2016 Honors 2101

Professor Patricia RohrerFort Douglas Honors Center

801-587-1130Office Hours: tba

HONORS 2101 Intellectual Traditions: Antiquity

The humanities are fundamentally about questions concerning human values: what it means to lead a good life or how to build a just society. What is justice? Do we have free will? Why is there suffering in the world? Through close reading and discussion of texts, and the role playing game, Reacting to the Past, students will explore some of the enduring questions at the core of humanistic inquiry. We will work toward an understanding of how enduring beliefs and values evolved and contribute to currentideas about the nature of society and existence.

TEXT BOOKSBeloware the textbooks you'll need to purchase, in order of use. Please purchase these editions (ISBN’s provided) Additional readings on Canvas. No electronic books, please. This is a no-laptop, no-cellphone class.

Homer, Iliad,translated by Stanley Lombardo Hackett 978-0-87220-352-5

Reeve, The Trials of SocratesHackett 978-0-87220-589-5

Plato, Republic, translated by C.D.C. ReeveHackett 978-0-87220-736-3

Ober, Norman, Carnes Threshold of Democracy: Athens in 403 BCNorton 978-0-393968876

COURSE OBJECTIVES are that you:

--Develop close reading skills, with an increased ability to understand, analyze and evaluate difficult texts and pursue humanistic inquiry

--Write clearly and persuasively, supporting ideas with evidence

--Think critically and creatively, making interdisciplinary connections, and connections to your own life

--Take the initiative in your learning, and explore the most effective ways to acquire, evaluate and present it

--Deepen your understanding of your own beliefs and values and what you share with people of other cultures and historical periods

COMMUNITY OF SCHOLARS: A major goal of this course is to develop a community that will effectively support everyone’s learning. To that end, you must alwaysbring the day’s reading assignment, with notes on the text, to class. If the text is online you are required to print it and bring the hard copy to class.

Students are expected to facilitate and improve small group and all-class discussions by:

--offering interpretations and asking questions that are backed up with textual evidence and providing textual evidence to support someone else’s ideas or questions.

--bringing our attention to particularly difficult or seemingly significant passages in the day’s reading that might be fruitful to discuss

--ensuring a good flow of discussion by responding to and/or building on your classmates’ contributions (Ideally, the conversation won’t flow through me!)

--showing up prepared to discuss the reading and ask questions – for clarification and/or discussion. (Please avoid asking questions you could have googled before class: about dates, straightforward definitions of English words, etc.)

--briefly sharing any information – historical, mythological, etymological, etc. -- you’ve found that illuminates or enriches the reading

HIGH STAKESassignments are designed to develop the critical reading and writing skills that are the core of Intellectual Traditions. All students must reach a satisfactory level of High Stakes skill development, re-writing High Stakes assignments as necessary until they demonstrate competency in critical reading and writing (60% of possible points to pass, 80% for an A/A-.)

--Critical Reading Log: 7short entries, 84 points total

--Two 3-5 pageessays: 30 points each

LOW STAKES assignmentscomprise the remainder of the course work – some assignments are required and some you will choose from a menu of Student’s Choice assignments. These give you the opportunity to show the depth of your engagement with course reading, discussions and activities and to reflect on what you are learning.

Student Choice assignments are designed 1) to allow students to choose assignments that are well-suited to their own interests and learning objectives 2) to encourage students to take intellectual and creative risks 3) to put the grade they want to achieve within reach of all students willing to put in the effort.

Requiredfor all students

--In-class writing exercises and textual evidence assignment: 10-30 points

--Reacting to the Past: 80 points (speeches, short essays, participation, research)

--4 Weekly Digests: 10 points each

--Final: Elective theme group presentation or individual paper: 30 points

Student’s Choice

Choose from a menu – oral reports, illustrations, creative reflections, extra Critical Reading Logs, extra Weekly Digests or propose your own projects. You may complete as many Low-Stakes assignments as you like in order to achieve your learning objectives and/or your desired semester grade.

CALENDAR

Aug 23 Wk 1 Introduction,

Creation Stories, Greek Mythology

Aug 30 Wk 2 Homer, Iliad

Sept 6Wk 3 Iliad

Sep 13Wk 4 Iliad

Sep 20Wk 5PreSocratics, Xenophanes, Reeve, Trials of Socrates

Sept 27 Wk 6Trials of Socrates, Thucydides, “Melian Dialogue”, “Pericles’ Funeral Oration”

Plato Republic, Bk1

Oct 4Wk 7Plato Republic, Books 2, 3 selections

Reacting to the Past Threshold of Democracy Set up. Republic Book 4 selections

Oct 11FALL BREAK

Oct 18 Wk 8RTTP Microgame: “Athens Besieged”

Setup Republic, Book 8

Oct 25Wk 9RTTP Game Session 1

Game Session 2

Nov 1Wk 10RTTP Game session 3

Game session 4

Nov 8 Wk 11 Festival of Greek Drama: Sophocles Oedipus

Festival: Sophocles Oedipus

Nov 15Wk 12 RTTP Game session 5

RTTP Game session 6

Nov 22Wk 13 RTTP Post-Mortem

Nov 29 Wk 14 Elective theme discussions – Small groups: Science, Women, Justice, Chinese Philosophy, Stoicism, Hindu Values

Dec 6 Wk 15 Elective theme discussions

Elective theme group presentations