Western Civilization to 1650 - Hunziker

The History of Western Civilization to 1650
History 151-07

Fall 2008

Professor: Dr.Brandon Hunziker

Email:

Webpage:

Classroom/Meeting Time: Manning 209, TTh,12:30-1:45

Office Hours: Hamilton Hall 515, Tuesday and Thursday, 9-11 a.m.

Teaching Assistants:Alexander Jacobs ()

Laura Sims ()

Course Overview and Objectives

This course will survey of some of the major topics, issues, and problems that have shaped the history of Western Civilization. When first introduced after World War I, the “Western Civ” course presented college students with a version of the West’s history that concentrated on “high” politics, ideas, and culture. Indeed, this version of “Western Civ” could sometimes make it seem as if only a small number of “great people” — usually men — actually made history. Critics of this course, moreover, have also charged that it presumed, and indeed perpetuated, the belief that the West, in its supposedly inexorable march towards greater human freedom, reason, and progress, was superior to other cultures. For these and other reasons, some have suggested abandoning this course altogether in favor of “World History.”

And yet others, including your current instructor, think that the story of Western Civilization still deserves to be told, as its history and traditions continue to shape the world we live in. Indeed, it’s not hard to make the argument that the traditions of Western Civilization, for better and sometimes for worse, continue to influence the course of world history more than those of any other historical civilization. But that aside, Western Civilization remains a fascinating laboratory for historical investigation, a place where we can practice thinking historically. Thinking historically means many things. For our purposes, it means recognizing changes and continuities over time; understanding the complex relationship between historical events, historical context, and human culture; interrogating and critically interpreting both primary and secondary sources; constructing interpretations of one’s own based on historical evidence; and using historical knowledge to gain a better understanding of the present. And one of the best ways to think historically is to enter into a dialogue with some of history’s most interesting people, from the great philosopher Socrates to one of the first critics of Western imperialism, the Dominican friar Bartholomew de Las Casas.

Among the topics this course will examine are:

The formation of political systems in Ancient Greece and Rome, medieval and renaissance Europe, and early modern Europe.
The role of religion and religious institutions, especially Catholicism, the Catholic Church, and Protestantism, and their relationship to political systems and intellectual trends.
Major intellectual trends including classical Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, medieval theology, renaissance humanism, and early modern scientific thinking.
Changing social and economic contexts, everyday life, and social relations, both between and within different groups of people.
How Westerners’ identities were formed by the contexts in which they lived, their own thoughts, beliefs, and actions, and above all their encounters with people, or others, who were different from them. These concept of “others” and “difference” in the history of Western civilization will serve as a general theme for this course.

Finally, this course seeks improve your ability to analyze various types of historical sources critically, write clearly and effectively, and articulate yourself confidently in front of others. These are skills that will benefit you no matter what your chosen field of study or career may be.

Readings

Required Books: The following books are required reading for this course. They are available for purchase at the UNC Campus Bookstore. You may, however, find better deals from online booksellers. If you buy them on the first week of class, they will arrive in time for you to read them. Buy.com, Ecampus.com, and Amazon.com have some of the best prices. Make sure, though, that you get the right edition by using the ISBN numbers provided below. To find the lowest prices, just click on the ISBN numbers on the web-based version of this syllabus.

Aristopheanes, Lysistrata and Other Plays (0140448144)
Cullen Murphey, Are We Rome? The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America (0618742220)
The Song of Roland (0140445323)
Machiavelli, The Prince (0872203166)

Course Reader: In addition to the required books, you will read several primary sources and articles from a course reader available in PDF format. Click here to download the course reader (8.1 MB). Youmust print out the readings and bring them to your recitation section. I highly recommend that you print out the entire course reader and put it in a three-ring binder. If you own your own printer, this will cost you $1 in paper and $1 in ink. If you don’t own a printer, it’s time you bought one.

Recommended Textbook: There is no required textbook for this course. However, for those of you who’d like more background information or want to reinforce material from lectures (especially missed ones), you can read the corresponding chapters in Sherman and Salisbury, The West in the World vol. I: To 1715 (any edition). In fact, any number of Western Civ textbooks will serve this purpose. A textbook can also be used to review for exams or read more about issues and topics you find particularly interesting. Although it may contain information similar to that presented in lectures, you will not be held responsible for its content. Moreover, you won’t be able to pass this course if you rely solely on the textbook for your exams and papers. Whatever you do, don’t get bogged down in the textbook. Instead, concentrate your time and effort on the supplementary readings that will form the basis of your discussions in recitation.

How much reading? There is a substantial, but manageable amount of reading for this course. Some weeks are heavier than others, so plan ahead. You will probably not be able to complete some readings the night before your recitation section meets. It is absolutely essential, however, that you complete all of the readings on time so that you can write your reading responses and participate actively in recitation.

Requirements and Grading

Lectures: All of the factual information that you need for exams will be presented in lectures, so I highly recommend that you attend them all. Lecture outlines will be posted on the online version of this syllabus (see webpage address above) before class. I recommend that you download and print these outlines out before class so that you can spend more time listening and thinking than copying. In the past, students have copied them into Word documents and taken their notes between the lines. But remember: you cannot pass this class by relying on your textbook, Google, or Wikipedia. Lectures are scheduled for 75 minutes, but I will usually end before 1:30. Please do not, however, start packing up your things until I end my lecture.

Recitation: Recitation is an integral component of this course. It is where you and your classmates will “do” history together by critically discussing primary and secondary sources, freely exchanging your thoughts, ideas, and questions, and, in the process, improving your ability to articulate yourself in front of others. It is here where you will actively create knowledge, not just absorb it. You will be assessed according to how well (qualitatively and quantitatively) you participate in weekly discussions. In general, the more you offer your informed thoughts in recitation about the subject material, the better you will do. So prepare well for recitation by reading the assigned texts carefully, thinking of questions, ideas, and issues they provoke, and coming ready to share them.

Reading Responses: You will submit ten (10) brief responses of about 300-350 words each to questions on your major readings. (Click here for Questions) The point of these “homework” assignments, which are each worth 1% of your total grade, is to 1) make sure you’re doing the reading and 2) engaging with it critically. We do not expect you to write polished essays here, but rather short responses informed by your critical engagement with the assigned reading. In addition to answering the main question, your responses may include your own general reactions to and opinions about the reading. You might also want to pose an additional question that you could then bring up in recitation. Your response must, however, cite the text directly at least once with a short quotation or a specific reference to something in it (an argument, fact, example, etc). In order to avoid large amounts of paper flowing from you to your TA and then back again, you will submit your responses electronically to Blackboard by typing or cutting and pasting them directly into the field provided. (See “Assignments” on Blackboard) I recommend, however, that you keep a backup of all your responses in an MS Word file. Your response will be due when your recitation section meets. No late responses will be accepted, so make sure you get them in on time. Your TA will then read it, occasionally offer some brief feedback, and assign a grade of 0% or 100%. In the past, these reading responses have tended to boost students’ grades – getting a 100% “homework” grade is easy. At the same time, students who didn’t complete them saw their grades fall. Important Note: You should also know that I have collected every single reading response (over 4000 in total) submitted by students who took my courses over the past two years into one very easily searchable file. We can and will be making sure that the reading responses you submit are in fact your own by conducting random checks.

Memo Assignment: You will produce a memo of about 1000 words addressed to the next president of the United States in which you advise him, based on your knowledge of the history of Ancient Rome and the current issues facing this country, on policies he might take during his administration. Your memo will be based on your reading of Cullen Murphy’s book Are We Rome. Instructions and guidelines will be provided in advance.

Critical Essay: You will write one 1200-1500-word (c. 4-5 pages) essay based on the supplementary readings you have read during the course of the semester. Your essay will be due on in class at 12:30 on November 20. Questions, instructions and guidelines for this paper will be provided well in advance of the due date.

Quizzes: There will be two short objective quizzes (9/16 and 11/11) based on material from the lectures.

Exams: There will be one 75-minute midterm (10/9) and one 100-minute final (12/6) consisting of IDs and short answers. These exams will be based on material from lecture and the supplementary readings.

Extra Credit Films: During the semester films we will show films relevant to the course material outside of class, usually on a Wednesday evening. While I think you should attend on your own free will, as an added incentive we will add 3.3 points to your class participation grade (up to 9.9 points total, or about 1 additional point on your final grade) for each film you attend. In order to receive these points you must attend the scheduled screenings, show up on time, and stay until the film is over.

Assignments / Weight / Grading Scale
Reading Responses (10) / 10% / 92.5-100 / A
Quizzes (2) / 10% / 89.5-92.4 / A-
Midterm Exam / 20% / 86.5-89.4 / B+
Memo Assignment / 10% / 82.5-86.4 / B
Critical Essay / 15% / 79.5-82.4 / B
Final Exam / 25% / 76.5-79.4 / C+
Class Participation / 10% / 72.5-76.4 / C
69.5-72.4 / C-
66.5-69.4 / D+
60.5-66.4 / D
0-60.4 / F

Make-ups and Extensions: Make-ups and extensions will only be granted in the event of an officially documented personal emergency (sickness, family tragedies, etc.). Special events such as interviews or athletic competitions will also be considered reasonable grounds to make-up an exam, but not for an extension on the critical essay or another opportunity to submit a reading response. Such events must also be documented. Ten points will be deducted from your memo and paper for each 24-hour period that they are late, beginning five minutes after the start of the class period in which they are due. If you know that you will be unable an exam, please inform your teaching assistant and me through email as far in advance as possible. The final exam will be held on Friday, December 12, at 12:00 p.m. Please do not plan to travel before then, as it is very difficult to schedule a make-up final.

Some Basic Guidelines

Attendance and Tardiness: Attendance at lectures is not mandatory, although it will be hard to pass this class if you do not attend them regularly. Attendance at recitation section, however, is mandatory. Unexcused absences from recitation will result in a 10-point deduction from your participation grade. Please make every effort to arrive on time for both lectures and recitations. If you are late for lecture, please enter through the back door of the classroom and take a seat closest to the door in the back row. Please try to be as quiet as you can and do not walk in front of me if you arrive late or have to leave the room. In general, you should not come to class late or leave early because of other appointments or obligations. You should consider this class an appointment that you have scheduled three times per week for the rest of the semester. Either make that appointment or break it, but don’t come to it late or leave early because you’ve scheduled another one for the same time.

Cell Phones and Laptops: Please turn your cell phones off - not to vibrate, but off – before class begins. Now, there’s a good chance that cell phones will ring a few times in the course of the semester. If yours does, turn it off quickly. If you are a repeat offender, you may be asked to leave. You may use your laptop to take notes. Do not, however, use your laptop to email, surf the web, watch movies, instant message, or check each other out on Facebook. If your teaching assistant or I catch you doing any of these things (and we will be watching), you will be asked to leave. There are few things I find more distracting or disrespectful than a student gazing into a laptop screen or cell phone and doing things that have nothing to do with the course. If you want to do these things, please do them someplace where I won’t disturb you with my lecture.

Classroom Conduct: Please do not eat, sleep, read, do work for other classes, or chat with your neighbor during class. If you cannot control the urge to talk with your neighbor in class, I suggest that you move to another seat. I will not hesitate to ask you to move or, if need be, leave the classroom if you disrupt class in any way. You may drink coffee or other beverages during class, especially if they help you stay awake. Please do not start packing up your things until your TA or I end class, as it is very distracting both to us and other students who are still listening.

Honor Code: The UNC Honor Code applies to all of your work and conduct in this course. Cheating, plagiarism, or insensitive behavior (i.e. not respecting your classmates or instructors) of any kind will not be tolerated. If you do not know what constitutes cheating, plagiarism, or insensitivity, please reread the honor code or ask me, as claiming ignorance is not a valid excuse. Internet plagiarism is a growing problem on college campuses nationwide, and one your teaching assistants and I will do everything we can to combat. If we have any reason to believe that you may have plagiarized, we will carefully examine your work using all of the tools available to us. Our advice to you: don’t even try it – it’s so not worth it.

Problems, Concerns, and Difficulties: We would like to talk to you about any concerns you may have about a grade, your performance in the course, problems with the material, and especially how to improve. We would ask, however, that you wait at least 24 hours before talking to us about any paper or exam that has just been handed back. Any issue that involves your teaching assistant (a grade, discussion section, etc.) should be discussed first with him or her. Remember, email can sometimes lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and confusion. It’s sometimes best to discuss things in person. When you do write us emails, begin them with a “Dear” or “Hi” and end with a “Sincerely” or “Thanks,” followed by your name. We’ll extend the same courtesy to you.

Schedule of Classes and Assignments
(This schedule, the readings, and assignments are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.)

Part I: The Ancient World

Week 1 / Introduction
8/19 / What is Civilization? What is Western Civilization? What is the Western Civilization Course?
8/21 / The Hebrew Contribution to the Western Tradition
Recitation / Introductions and Course Information
Week 2 / The Greeks: Politics and Culture
8/26 / Politics and Society in Ancient Greece
8/28 / From Unity to Civil War: The 5th-Century Greek Tragedy
Recitation / Men and Women, War and Sex in Ancient Greece
Aristophanes, Lysistrata
Week 3 / Culture, War and Decline in Ancient Greece
9/2 / Rationalism and Humanism in Greek Philosophy and History
9/4 / Hellenistic Culture and Philosophy
Recitation / Philosophy, Individualism, and Dissent in Ancient Athens: The Trial of Socrates (click here for some reading questions)
Read: Plato, “Apology” (course reader)
Week 4 / The Roman Republic and the Rise of Empire
9/9 / The Roman Republic: Origins and Expansion
9/11 / The Crisis of the Republic and the Imperial Solution
Recitation / Click here for some terms from the book that you may be unfamiliar with.
Cullen Murphy, Are We Rome?The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America, pp. 1-120
Week 5 / The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
9/16 / The Pax Romana and the Long “Decline” of the Roman Empire
Quiz #1
9/17 / Extra Credit Film: “The Life of Brian”
9/18 / The Historical Jesus and the Spread of Christianity
Recitation / Cullen Murphy, Are We Rome?The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America, pp. 121-206.

Part II: Medieval Europe