Dr. T. David Gordon Fall, 2014, HUMA 201 G and I,
CIVILIZATION AND THE SPECULATIVE MIND
Fall, 2014 T/Th, 10:02-11:20, 11:30-12:45 (HAL 302)
Office (HAL 303F): 458-2205 Home: 450-0636
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11:30, 4:00-5:00, TTH 1:00-2:30
[n.b. I delete emails that have nothing in the subject line]
Rationale:
This course continues in the required series of the Humanities Core curriculum, surveying those enduring worldviews and thinkers that have influenced civilization, and introducing the foundational concepts of theology, ethics, philosophy, science, and political thought. The course is predicated on the assumption that an educated individual is familiar with those determinative ideas and values that influence cultures, causing them to be as they are, and that an educated individual can discern those ideas and values even where they are only implicit. The course will examine the necessity, nature, and structure of world views and compare a Christian worldview with other competing contemporary world views, including scientific naturalism, humanism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern pantheistic monism, the new age, pragmatism, and postmodernism.
Goals and Objectives:
In addition to aiding the student in becoming familiar with those ideas and values that have shaped civilization, the course aims to make the student adept at perceiving those ideas and values when they are only implicitly expressed. The course is designed to facilitate the student’s raising and answering questions such as these:
•What is real, and how can we know what is real?
•What is human nature, and what is humanity’s purpose, both individually and corporately considered?
•What happens to people when they die?
•What can we know, and with what kinds and degrees of certainty?
•Can we distinguish right from wrong, by any standard external to our own prejudices and biases?
•Can we distinguish the beautiful from the ugly (and from the banal), by any standard external to our own prejudices and biases?
•Are labor and leisure things we happen to experience, or is there a theoretical foundation for each? Are there purposes for each, and is leisure more or less important than labor?
•Does human history have meaning?
•Does human society have meaning or purpose?
•How does Christian theism address these questions differently than other theologies and philosophies?
•In what ways do we and others communicate implicit answers to these questions in everyday life and activity?
HUMA 201 seeks to promote the following general educational and personal goals:
To aid students in the development of a Christian worldview that integrates knowledge in religion, philosophy, ethics, history, economics, sociology, and political science.
To help them apply this knowledge to their work and life in contemporary society.
To help them live lives that honor and glorify God and advance His kingdom in the world.
To present a biblical worldview that can direct their lives.
To provide an apologetic for the Christian faith and the basis for believing Christianity is true.
OUTCOMES
Through the course, students will:
Examine what they believe about God, the universe, and social and ethical issues (quizzes, exam, class discussion).
Examine different ways of raising ethical questions (quizzes, exam, class discussion).
Examine contemporary worldviews that compete with Christianity including scientific naturalism, humanism, scientism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern pantheistic monism, the New Age, pragmatism, consumerism, and postmodernism (quizzes, exam, class discussion).
Analyze biblical presuppositions for social life and various Christian approaches toward society (quizzes, exam, class discussion).
Investigate ancient and contemporary views of society such as socialism, Islam, and democratic capitalism (quizzes, exam, class discussion).
Develop the research and analytical skills used in the humanities or social sciences and improve their writing ability by receiving instruction in information literacy and library research as well as significant evaluation of the mechanics, style, and substance of a 10 page term paper they write.
Texts
Gary Scott Smith and Paul C. Kemeny, eds., Confronting Life’s Challenges: Worldview, Societal Perspectives, and Ethical Issues (2012), (CLC); James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, 3rd edition (UND); C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Course Requirements
1. Reading assignments: each section includes a reading that is to be completed prior to the lectures and discussions of that topic.
2. Quizzes: The dates of quizzes are specified in the syllabus. Quizzes will focus on the required reading (15% of final grade)
3. Tests: Two tests, and a comprehensive final examination are designated in the schedule (each test 20% of final grade)
4. Research Paper (Prior, First and Second Draft, 5%, 10%, and 15%):
Each student will write an 8-10 page paper (double-spaced--also, I am more a stickler on the maximum length than the minimum. If you have what you regard as an excellent 7-page paper, don’t botch it up by adding a page of junk; just realize you are “competing,” as it were, with those who may write 12 pages. But do not go over the limit; almost all publications place limits on their contributors, and you must stay within them), analyzing a metaphysical, epistemological, social, political (only in the sense of political systems; ask the instructor if you have questions) or axiological (ethical or aesthetic) issue. The analysis must demonstrate a correct understanding of the matter at hand, a comparison of proposed alternatives and their rationales, and a theistic evaluation. Some examples of questions papers might address would be:
-Is chance the governing principle in the universe, or is the universe purposeful?
-Do people reincarnate?
-At death, do people simply disappear?
-Does a given political theory imply a worldview?
-Does a given artist (or work of art, literature, or music) imply a worldview or view of human nature?
-Is social progress more or less valuable, as a political value, than individual liberty?
-Can an unbeliever be a better worker, artist or human than a believer?
-Is human nature distinct from other forms of life?
-Does a given educational theory (e.g., Plato’s or John Dewey’s) imply a worldview or a view of human nature?
-How does one’s answer to a specific ethical question reflect a worldview?
-How does one’s view of the arts (are they important, unimportant; are there objective standards of beauty, etc.) reflect a worldview or an ethical system?
-Is the use of leisure time a matter of ethical consideration?
In addition, more-specific questions about ethics, political theory, or human life may be proposed (e.g., whether the system of arranged marriages is superior or inferior to the system of choosing one’s mate; whether compulsory education is a good or bad idea). If you have any question regarding whether the topic you are considering is either permissible or wise, feel free to contact the instructor in person or by email. WARNING: DO NOT VENT; this is a formal academic paper, not an opportunity to gripe about your roommate, the college, the fact that your laptop is not a Mac, the food in Hicks, etc. If you have life-issues you wish to discuss, please see me in my office, but do not jeopardize your paper by discussing such issues there. You may wish to consult, for general direction, my “Ten Commandments of Paper Writing,” on the network (it’s only a page and a half, and it could save you several letter grades).
WHAT THE PAPER IS NOT:
A research paper is not an essay (one’s own reflections upon life), an editorial (one’s own opinion about some public matter), or a work of creative philosophy (one’s own, constructive solution to some matter previously unsolved). It is a paper in which we learn from others something about something, and then disclose, in an organized manner, what we have learned (including why we think some proposed solutions were better than others) and, perhaps, why that is important for others to consider.
INTERNET CITATIONS. Ordinarily, web sites are not acceptable sources. If a website is cited, the student must demonstrate the credentials that make it reliable (e.g., the author of the web-site has an earned academic doctorate in the field; the web-site is administered by a prominent public organization such as the ACLU, the ABA, etc.).
OTHER CITATIONS. For regular citations of published works, you may use either Turabian or Chicago Manual of Style. You may not use MLA parenthetical citations. Citations must be footnoted (not end-noted, and not parenthetical), and in such a manner that the reader can check the citation. A formal paper is an argument, in which you attempt to persuade the reader that your viewpoint is correct. You must assume that the reader accepts nothing at face value, but requires that you demonstrate your point. Therefore, when you refer to sources (either to prove that your view is not idiosyncratic, or to give credit to your source), you must cite the specific location (page number) from which you derive your information, so that the reader can check to see if your reference is correct. Even if your citation otherwise agrees with some stylesheet, this requirement is non-negotiable.
-“Ibid.” (abbreviation of the Latin ibidem) means “in the same place,” and may only be used to refer back to the previous note on the same page of your work. It cannot be used to “jump” over several other references.
-“Op. cit.” (abbreviation of the Latin opus citatum or opere citato) means “work (or works) cited,” and is employed to refer to a note that has already included the full bibliographic information. Unless the author is expressly mentioned in the text of your paper, the note should read: “Smith, op. cit., p. 12.” If you mention “Smith” in the text, and have already cited his work earlier on that page, you may say: “Op. cit., p. 12.”
-Double-space between each footnote.
-Use the same 12-point font in the footnotes that you use in the text of the paper.
A brief, one-page summary of the Turabian format for citations can be found at:
GENERAL FORMAL REQUIREMENTS: All questions about formal matters of grammar, style, etc., are addressed in Pocket Reference for Writers (Prentice Hall 2005). Formal papers must be paginated, without exception. They must be single-sided, and double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font (non-sarifed fonts are difficult to read). They must have a title page that includes your name and box number; they must have a bibliography attached at the end of the paper. They must not justify the right margin (which creates un-natural spaces in the words, making them harder to read. They must not have end-notes or parenthetical references;I only accept footnotes (why make the reader work, by riffing through pages, back and forth, from where he is reading to the back of the paper to look at end notes?), and every footnote must cite the page from which the citation is. The first footnote on a page may not be “Ibid.” or “Op. cit.”; these abbreviations may only be used for works already cited on a particular page of the paper. “Ibid.” (Ibidem, meaning “in the same place”) may not be used interchangeably with “Op. cit.” (Opus citatum, meaning “work cited”). If, and only if, the second citation is in the same place (same page), can one use “Ibid.”; if the second citation of the work is to a different page, the proper abbreviation, is “Op. cit., p. x”. For this reason, “Ibid.” should never be followed by a page number, since, by definition, it means “in the same place.” If second or subsequent citations are interrupted by references to another work, then the author’s last name, with or without part of the title, must be placed before the “Ibid.” or “Op. cit.,” e.g., “Smith, American Presidency op. cit., p. 12.”
If the first draft fails any of the “musts” above, or if I find it difficult to read, I will return it without reading any further.
It is to your advantage for me to read and carefully mark the first draft, so that you can make changes and improve your grade on the second draft. But if the first draft is so vague, unclear, undefined, or imprecise that I cannot make sense of it after a page or two, I will simply put a horizontal line across the paper at that point and return it without further correction. It simply is not possible to edit a paper that one cannot understand; I cannot assess whether subsequent paragraphs support the thesis paragraph (for instance) if I cannot undrestand the thesis paragraph.
This paper will be written in both a first draft and a second draft. The first draft will count for 10% of the final grade; the second draft for 15%. You must select your topic, and submit the topic to me in writing on Thursday, Sept. 11. With the paper topic, you must include at least five sources that you have found on the topic (though you may later decide to use other sources). The prior first draft is due on Thursday, Oct. 9, the first draft of the paper is due on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The final draft is due on Thursday, Nov. 20.
Each person in the class must edit one other student’s paper, and this constitutes 5% of the course grade. I will then compare the “first draft” to this “previous first draft,” noting whether you have followed the recommendations of the editor (if they are legitimate). While this prior first draft only constitutes 5% of the grade, I will not read your “first draft” without this prior first draft; and therefore you will lose 15% of the course grade if this assignment is not completed, and completed on time. Note: This requirement reflects the reality that almost all good writing requires good editing. If you cannot edit another’s work, you cannot edit your own work. Learning to look for mistakes in the writing of another helps you to see them in your own writing. Especially look for sentences that are simply awkward, and/or hard to understand, even if you do not know the precise grammatical reason for its awkwardness or unclarity. One of the fundamental differences between formal writing and informal writing (email, texting, IMing, etc.) is that formal writing is always edited carefully.
Ordinarily, there should be several stages of editing after you write something:
1. You yourself proof-read it, looking for errors or difficulties.
2. You yourself read it aloud, noting wherever you find it difficult to articulate orally.
3. Someone else proof-reads it, looking for errors or difficulties.
4. Someone else reads it aloud to you, and you make note of where the reader gets stuck.
Note one very obvious reality: None of these things can possibly be done if you do not finish your paper until the night before it is due. All good writing actually consists of good editing. If you follow the above four steps for a long period of time, you may eventually reach the stage where only steps 1., 2., and 3. are necessary. Until you reach that point (you will know you’ve reached it when those who perform step 4. no longer get stuck), step 4. is the most revealing stage. Even an individual who knows little about grammar or spelling (therefore not much help on step 3.), or who knows nothing about your topic, will get stuck when attempting to read aloud a poorly-written paper.
Writing is profoundly more difficult than conversation, because the other party cannot ask questions of you. As Walter Ong put it:
“To make yourself clear without gesture, without facial expression, without intonation, without a real hearer,you have to foresee circumspectly all possible meanings a statement may have for any possible reader in any possible situation, and you have to make your language work so as to come clear all by itself, with no existential context. The need for this exquisite circumspection makes writing the agonizing work it commonly is.” (Orality and Literacy, p. 104)
Writing is always, as Ong said, “agonizing work,” and the only question is whether the writer or the reader will agonize. Writers who do not agonize make agony for their readers, who ordinarily respond by not reading them. DO NOT MAKE YOUR READER AGONIZE.
All HUMA 201 papers will be evaluated in accordance with the HUMA 201 Grading Rubric, which is sent with the syllabus.
SOURCES FOR YOUR PAPERS
Our library is too small to contain every book ever written; and it is limited especially in the arena of religion and theology (compared to what is actually in print). However, inter-library loan works fairly well, provided that you do not wait until the last minute. Select your paper topic early, and begin to gather your sources early; do not come to me the week before your paper is due and say you couldn’t find this or that book in the library. It’s too late by then.
5. Comprehensive final examination (15% of final grade). Consult the exam schedule now, and make appropriate travel preparations in light of the exam schedule published by the registrar’s office. I cannot be expected to offer special sections of the final exam to accomodate your various travel plans.