IDSC 151: Athens To New York

Four central questions are thought to be at the center of the interdisciplinary core courses you are required to take at the College:

• What does it mean to be human?
• What does it mean to be a member of a community?
• What does it mean to moral, ethical or just?
• How do individuals and communities respond to differences of race, class, gender and ethnicity?

We stand at the dawn of a new century and a new millenium. You are to be among the leaders of this nation in that new era. What will be the guiding principles and values of the world you will create? In this class you will explore historical and cultural roots of critical issues facing us, and you will begin to articulate your vision of the world waiting to be born.

Learning goals

• articulate three theories of human nature.
• to list and describe and discuss the importance of three types of human communities
• define and distinguish between deontological and teleogical (consequentialist) systems of ethics, and be able to give examples of each.
• describe ways in which human differences have limited the definitions of humanness, community and justice within specific societies. In addition, you should be able to talk about examples of resistance against those limitations.

• the ability to construct a well written, research based argumentative or expository essay,
• the ability to give a well researched and articulate oral presentation
• the ability to analyze and synthesize information in order to answer a specific question or solve a problem (such as a policy problem). In addition, you should be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a proposed analysis or solution.

Course Requirements

• Message Board responses to the class discussion questions: 20
• Message Board questions: 10 percent
• Critical questions panel and presentation -- 20 percent
• Utopia group presentation and essay : 20
• Quizzes: 10 (some will be announced. Some won't. Quizzes will be on reading or vocabulary.)
• In-class participation: 10
• Journal of your service learning experience, with a summary statement tying your experience to the course themes. The General Education program has a suggested format for you to follow. You can use paper or e-mail. You must complete this to get a passing grade.: 10 percent
• E-mail address
• Read materials for class when due
• Adherence to college rules with regard to style, footnoting, attribution
• No make-up exams without a doctor's note.

Description of major class assignments

1. The e-mail assignment: The class will have a message board. We will distribute, by e-mail, discussion questions for the upcoming class session, based on the assigned readings. You will each be responsible for generating discussion questions for a specific class session. At least two questions are expected for each session. During the second class, you will be asked to sign up for your session as discussion moderator.

After each session, you will each be expected to be prepared to respond in class, to the discussion question for that class. (these questions can come from discussions in your study groups.) You are ALSO required to post responses to at least five of the message board questions during the course of the semester. These responses must be thoughtful, with references to readings and class discussions as appropriate This will be part of your class participation grade. You are also encouraged to add your own questions and observations to the discussion. If, for some reason, you cannot attend class, you may respond on the web.

The questions posted to the message board should relate to at least two of the following themes:

• The concept of, or relationship to, the Divine
• The value placed upon freedom, individuality, and imagination
• The importance and/or consequences ascribed to a person's ability to reason
• The value placed upon living ethically and justly
• The rights of the community versus the rights of the individual
• Attitudes toward difference

3. The Utopia Group Task Force will complete the work of the Critical Questions Task Forces by analyzing proposed solutions and making recommendations.

Grading Criteria

B Logic and facts are in order. The writing is clear and competent. Errors are minimal.

C The writing is thoughtful and produced with care. Some errors.

D An effort has been made to meet the requirements of the assignment, but substantial work is needed.

F The requirements have not been addressed.

0 The work has not been handed in, and no extensions have been given.

Grading criteria for essays

Clear thesis statement: 10 points
1. Þ Logically developed argument including support for your thesis, consideration of opposing or contradictory views, refutation of opposing views and a conclusion : 30 points
2. Þ Well-developed paragraphs, with topic sentences and appropriate supporting sentences :30 points
3. Þ Grammar, punctuation, spelling : 15 points
4. Þ Citations including class notes, e-mails, class readings and any outside readings that you choose. Make sure that you are acquainted with the format for citing electronic sources. Other sources should be cited in APA Style. Value: 15 points

Class topics, readings and schedule

We will:

Respect each other.
• Try to understand each other's differing perspectives
• Try to be non-judgmental
• Try to let everyone who wants to speak at least once before we speak a second time
• Try to be honest
• Realize that there are no silly questions
• ASK whatever you want or need to

In class exercise -- exploring our worldviews; "The Culture of Shiftlessness"

• Read The Apology and Crito by September 13 (quiz)

  
  Identity and Power in the Ancient World:
  In antiquity, religion was not yet separable from other forms of public life. One's worship was dictated mainly by ones nationality and by other forms of social identification such as the household to which one belonged or the city in which one lived. The family, including slaves as well as the immediate kin groups, honored its own household gods, celebrated with religious rites, feasting and various entertainments. In the Roman world, some religious aspect must be paid to the genius or divinity of the ruling city, and later on, to the emperor who embodies its rule. ... Philosophical groups, too, sometimes organized themselves as voluntary communities of worship, as did social clubs. Even so, for most people, religion remained a part of their familial or ethnic identity; and since the individual had no place in society...one scarcely thought of changing ones worship except as part of a larger social unit

  L. William Countryman -- Dirt, Greed and Sex. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, c 1988. p 21

  September 9 --
  Historical backgound on Athens. Read and view:

  • The Ancient Greek World
  • Trial and Death of Socrates. You can look at Euthyphro, The Apology, The Crito on the web, or read the same text in your book.

    Question for class discussion: Of what city is Socrates a citizen? How might his teaching be construed as a violation of his duties as a citizen? Finally, why do we keep reading this story?

    For a different view of the relationship between the individual and the state read

    • King: Letter From Birmingham City Jail

      September 13: Antigone Study guide and text: here.

      September 16: School closed Antigone quiz postponed.

      September 23: Antigone quiz Why did ancient civilizations fall? Read the Introduction to this Annenberg Exhibit and be prepared to explore. You will be divided into four groups. Each group will explore one of four great, extinct civilizations: The Maya, Chaco Canyon, Mali and Songhai, or Mesopotamia. Be prepared to present your conclusions about the rise and fall of these societies at the next class session.

      September 27: presentations. What lessons can we learn? Read Exploring Ancient World Cultures and put your conclusions on the message board.

      September 30: What are the hallmarks of any culture? This site contains some provocative suggestions. What are the hallmarks of our culture? What are the challenges we face? Choose an event from the Inauguration Calendar as a means of exploring this question further. Be prepared to talk about the event you will attend at the 9/30 class

      October 4, 7: The Politics of Knowledge: Read Caroline's story, Caught in a World We Never Made, and On The Coming of John

      October 7: Discussion of Inaugural Activities. Set up Critical Issues Task Forces. Paper and presentation due November 4.

      October 11: Human Nature. Read Bentham: On the Principle of Utility. For a little pre-Halloween fun, look at A Bentham Curiosity

      October 14-18: The American Idea. Read The Author's Preface and Chapters Two,Fourteen,Sixteen, and eighteen of Democracy in America

      October 21, 25: Slavery and resistance. Read the slave narratives indexed here, as well as the post-Emancipation testimonials here and be prepared to discuss.

      October 28: Americanism Abroad, 100 years ago:

      The White Man's Burden
      By Rudyard Kipling
      McClure's Magazine 12 (Feb. 1899).

      Take up the White Man's burden--
      Send forth the best ye breed--
      Go, bind your sons to exile
      To serve your captives' need;
      To wait, in heavy harness,
      On fluttered folk and wild--
      Your new-caught sullen peoples,
      Half devil and half child.
      

      Take up the White Man's burden--
      In patience to abide,
      To veil the threat of terror
      And check the show of pride;
      By open speech and simple,
      An hundred times made plain, To seek another's profit
      And work another's gain.
      

      Take up the White Man's burden--
      The savage wars of peace--
      Fill full the mouth of Famine,
      And bid the sickness cease;
      And when your goal is nearest
      (The end for others sought)
      Watch sloth and heathen folly
      Bring all your hope to nought.
      

      Take up the White Man's burden--
      No iron rule of kings,
      But toil of serf and sweeper--
      The tale of common things.
      The ports ye shall not enter,
      The roads ye shall not tread,
      Go, make them with your living
      And mark them with your dead.
      

      Take up the White Man's burden,
      And reap his old reward--
      The blame of those ye better
      The hate of those ye guard--
      The cry of hosts ye humour
      (Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
      "Why brought ye us from bondage,
      Our loved Egyptian night?"
      

      Take up the White Man's burden--
      Ye dare not stoop to less--
      Nor call too loud on Freedom
      To cloak your weariness.
      By all ye will or whisper,
      By all ye leave or do,
      The silent sullen peoples
      Shall weigh your God and you.
      

      Take up the White Man's burden!
      Have done with childish days--
      The lightly-proffered laurel,
      The easy ungrudged praise:
      Comes now, to search your manhood
      Through all the thankless years,
      Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
      The judgment of your peers.
      

      Citation: Kipling, Rudyard. "The White Man's Burden." McClure's Magazine 12 (Feb. 1899). In Jim Zwick, ed., Anti-Imperialism in the United States, 1898-1935.

      Check out: New Century Perspectives on the 20th century.

      A contemporary view of America abroad: A view of the Iran-Iraq War: Read Chapter 22 of John Hockenberry's memoir, "Moving Violations" on reserve

      November 1: presentation Preparation

      November 4: Presentations

      November 8 and 11: No class -- Conferences. Read Nalo Hopkinson's "Brown Girl in the Ring" (on reserve) and look at The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit

      November 15: Envisioning the Future. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. Begin Utopia exercise. During this time, also read chapters 1-4 of your ethics text.

      November 18: Look at slides for Return to Kim Pearson's Syllabi Archive