42.346.01 (Weds., 6:00-9:00 PM)
Professor: M. Hickey Office: OSH 130 x-4161 mhickey@bloomu.edu
Office hours: T-Th, 2:00-3:15; Wed., 1:00-2:45 and 5:30-6:00.
Basic course information
Course Policies:
Explanation of Graded Assignments
Class participation (20 percent of course grade; 200 points possible)
First Paper (20 percent of course grade; 200 points possible)
Second Paper (30 percent of course grade; 300 points possible)
Third (Final) Paper (30 percent of course grade; 300 points possible
Links to Hickey's "old" Western Civ. Since 1650 Lecture Outlines, for extra background on the Industrial Revolution, etc.
Course Introduction:
Scope
This course is an introduction to Modern European Intellectual History. We will examine case studies of major movements and thinkers, considered in their historical contexts. The greatest emphasis will be given to the period 1789-1950. Among the topics on which we shall focus are
The influence of the Scientific Revolution on Enlightenment thought
Variations in Enlightenment thought (the German, French, and Anglo-Scottish Enlightenments)
The influence of Enlightenment thought on the French Revolution
The impact of the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution on early 19th century intellectual life (and in particular on Romanticism)
"Classical" nineteenth century social theories (with a particular focus on Mill, Marx and de Tocqueville)
The rise of irrationalism in late nineteenth century thought
The impact of World War One on faith in progress and rationality (with a particular focus on Freud)
Communist and Fascist "Utopianism" in the inter-war era
Currents of post-WW II (with a particular focus on Existentialism)
Objectives
If you take your work in this course seriously, it will help you:
It is my hope that this course will help you "think historically" about major thinkers and intellectual/cultural movements. In other words, that the course will help you understand the ideas of key thinkers, but also will encourage you to use historical methods to understand those ideas in historical context. I am convinced that doing so can enrich your understanding of human cultures and societies in the past and in the present.
Methods
This is a seminar class, with a very heavy emphasis in this course on reading and writing. The basic methods employed in this course will be:
Seminar discussions of assigned readings (which focus on objectives 1-3)
Mini-lectures on historical contexts of assigned readings (which focus on objectives 1-2)
Writing assignments that require comparative contextual analysis of readings (which focus on objective 4, but also 1-3)
Assessment
Required Texts:
The following books are required. (The titles are linked to study questions.) You must have these specific editions:
John
Stuart Mill, The Autobiography of John Stuart Mill, ed. by J. H. Robson.
Mary Shelly, Frankenstein (Penguin Classics Reissue edition)
Karl
Marx, The Portable Karl Marx
Alexis de Tocqueville, Alexis de Tocqueville on Democracy, Revolution, and Society.
Sigmund
Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents, ed. by J. Strachey.
Jean Paul Sartre, Nausea, trans. by Lloyd Alexander.
Web-linked
readings.
Grade Components and Grade Scale
Your grade in this course is based upon:
Class participation (20 percent; 200 possible points)
First Paper (20 percent; 200 possible points)
Second Paper (30 percent; 300 possible points)
Third Paper (30 percent; 300 possible points)
Course grade scale:
Mandatory Verification that you have read the syllabus and are aware of course policies and procedures
You must read this syllabus and then sign a form verifying that you: a) have read this syllabus; b) are aware of course policies and procedures. Follow this link to fill out the form: Link to the "Verification Document" Form
If you have questions about the syllabus, course policies, or assignments, it is your responsibility to ask those questions (in class, or after class, or in my office hours, or by email). It is my responsibility to answer those questions as clearly and directly as possible.
I will not grade any of your quizzes, exams, or papers until you have verified that you have read the syllabus (etc).
Plagiarism Policy
This class has a zero tolerance policy regarding plagiarism and all other forms of cheating.
For the definitions of plagiarism and cheating that apply in this course, see this link on plagiarism.
For the University's Academic Integrity Policy and an explanation of the appeals process regarding violations of academic integrity, see the online version of the BU student handbook, The Pilot.
If I determine that you have cheated or plagiarized on any assignment, I will strictly follow university guidelines:
You will receive a failing grade for the assignment
I will file a formal report with BU’s Student Standards Board. This can lead to your academic dismissal.
If you have cheated or plagiarized on more than one assignment, you will fail the entire course.
Attendance (Mandatory)
Your grade in the entire course will drop in direct proportion to your unexcused absences.
Example: Student X has 950 out of the 1000 possible points on graded assignments (an A).
Student X missed 20 percent of class sessions with unexcused absences
200 points will be deducted from Student X's course grade, which becomes 750 points (a C).
Excused Absences and Late Assignments
Excused absences:
A student misses class because of illness, a family emergency, or a University-related event, but has either:
a) informed the instructor in writing in advance, or
b) after the fact, provides the instructor with University-approved documentation excusing the absence.
Late Assignments:
Assignments are due on the date and at the time indicated in the syllabus.
10 percent of the possible grade total will be deducted from the grade of a paper that is late, with an additional 10 percent deducted for each additional day that it is late.
At the instructor's discretion, this policy may be waved in the case of medical or other emergencies.
Graded Assignments:
Participation (20 percent of course grade; 200 points possible):
This course is a seminar. It requires your active participation every week. For this reason, participation accounts for 20 percent of your course grade. It is your responsibility to attend every class session having completed the week's reading assignments and having prepared answers to the week's study questions.
I expect you to:
Complete the assigned readings before each class session
Answer questions in class based upon careful consideration of the assigned readings
Ask questions in class based upon careful consideration of the assigned readings
When called upon to do so, discuss the readings in small groups
When called upon to do so, participate in "group" presentations
When called upon to do to "take over" class as a discussion leader.
Your participation grade will be based upon both the frequency and the quality of your contributions to the discussions each week. The final participation grade will be the average of grades from each week during the semester.
Paper One (20 percent of course grade; 200 points possible):
Write a 5-7 page paper that takes a position on the following statement:
At first glance, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and The Autobiography of John Stuart Mill might seem so different as to defy comparative analysis. And yet, at a fundamental level, both books reveal a struggle to come to terms with the intellectual legacies of the Enlightenment and the "Dual Revolutions" (the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution). Both authors were steeped in late Enlightenment rationalism, yet also were pulled strongly towards Romanticism. Both grappled with the "limits" of scientific approaches to human nature, the nature of individual liberty, and the relationship between the individual and the community. In some regards, their conclusions regarding these problems were actually quite similar.
Do you agree with this statement? If so, explain why and provide specific evidence that proves your point by developing the comparative analysis.
Do you disagree with this statement? If so, explain why and provide specific evidence that proves your point by developing the comparative analysis.
You are to turn in the paper as a digital file, in MS Word. The file title must be: [your name] Paper 1
Email me the paper by the indicated due date. The subject line of the email must be: [your name] Paper 1
Your paper must be double-spaced, in 12 point Times Roman font, with 1 inch margins.
You must provide endnote citations for all quoted or paraphrased passages, using the form explained in this link: Using endnote citation form.
This paper will account for 20 percent of your course grade, and is due by 5 PM on 4 March.
I will grade your paper on the basis of its accuracy, logic, use of appropriate source material, clarity (which includes grammar), and attention to proper endnote form.
Paper Two (30 percent of course grade; 300 points possible):
Using as your main sources the writings of Karl Marx and of Alexis de Tocqueville, write a 7-10 page paper in which you compare and contrast how Marx and de Tocqueville understood the major problems confronting western civilization in the mid-19th century society.
You must address at least two of the following issues:
A. the function of the state in a liberal capitalist society
B. the social forces that shape an individual's identity and character
C. the relationship between individuals and society
D. the main causes of historical change
You are to turn in the paper as a digital file, in MS Word. The file title must be: [your name] Paper 2
Email me the paper by the indicated due date. The subject line of the email must be: [your name] Paper 2
Your paper must be double-spaced, in 12 point Times Roman font, with 1 inch margins.
You must provide endnote citations for all quoted or paraphrased passages, using the form explained in this link: Using endnote citation form.
This paper will account for 30 percent of your course grade, and is due by 5 PM on 11 April.
I will grade your paper on the basis of its accuracy, logic, use of appropriate source material, clarity (which includes grammar), and attention to proper endnote form
Paper Three (30 percent of course grade; 300 points possible):
Using as your main sources Freud's Civilization and its Discontents and Sartre's Nausea, write a 7-10 page paper in which you compare and contrast how Freud and Sartre understood all three of these issues:
A. the relationship between the individual and society
B. the nature/ problem of human freedom
C. how humans create meaning in their lives
You are to turn in the paper as a digital file, in MS Word. The file title must be: [your name] Paper 3
Email me the paper by the indicated due date. The subject line of the email must be: [your name] Paper 3
Your paper must be double-spaced, in 12 point Times Roman font, with 1 inch margins.
You must provide endnote citations for all quoted or paraphrased passages, using the form explained in this link: Using endnote citation form.
This paper will account for 30 percent of your course grade, and is due by 6 PM on 4 May.
I will grade your paper on the basis of its accuracy, logic, use of appropriate source material, clarity (which includes grammar), and attention to proper endnote form.
Weekly
Syllabus of Readings and Assignments:
A NOTE ON PLANNING / USING YOUR TIME CAREFULLY:
The reading load in this course can be heavy. Certain weeks have large reading assignments, and may coincide with your other exams (etc). So you must be very careful in planning your reading schedule. Master making effective use of your time!
Week I Weds. 19 Jan. Introductions
Course Introduction.
Lecture/Discussion: The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment.
Week II Weds. 26 Jan. The Enlightenment
The French Enlightenment
Descartes,
From the "Meditations"
Read, Voltaire, "Religion" from The Philosophical Dictionary at http://history.hanover.edu/texts/voltaire/volindex.html
The German Enlightenment:
Read Kant, "What is Enlightenment?" at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/kant-whatis.html
The Anglo-Scottish Enlightenment:
Read Locke, "Introduction" to "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" at http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Philosophy/Locke/echu/
Read Locke, "State of Nature" from his Second Treatise of Government at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1690locke-sel.html
Read Hume, "On Miracles" at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/hume-miracles.html.
Read Smith, The Wealth of Nations (selections) at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/adamsmith-summary.html.
Answer linked study questions of web readings for week two.
Week III Weds, 2 Feb. The Enlightenment/ The Dual Revolutions and Romanticism.
Mini-Lecture and Discussion on "the Dual Revolutions"
Mini-Lecture and Discussion on Romanticism
Readings:
Romanticism in British Literature
William Blake, "And did those feet in ancient time..." at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_did_those_feet_in_ancient_time
Wordsworth, "Advertisement" and at least the first 30 lines of the "Introduction" to "The Prelude" at http://www.bartleby.com/145/ww286.html and http://www.bartleby.com/145/ww287.html.
READ Shelly, Frankenstein (click link for study questions). Be sure that you read the editor's introduction and the "Author's introduction." If time permits, we will begin discussing the novel itself this week.
On the contrast between Enlightenment Classicism versus Early Romanticism in French Painting, compare
Greuze, "The Paralytic" at http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_3_1_7b.html to
Gericault, "The Raft of the Medusa" (1819) at http://www.louvre.fr/anglais/collec/peint/inv0488/peint_f.htm or at http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/gericault/raft_of_the_medusa.jpg.html
On early Romantic response to industrialization in English painting, see
Turner, "Rain, Steam, Speed" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain,_Steam_and_Speed_%E2%80%93_The_Great_Western_Railway
Turner, "The Fighting Temeraire" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fighting_Temeraire
For the most dramatic example of early Romanticism in music, I strongly urge you to listen to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, if only the final (choral) movement!.
Answer linked study questions on web readings for week three
Week IV Weds. 9 Feb. Romanticism, Continued.
This week we discuss Frankenstein (click title for study questions).
Week V 16 Feb. The Dual Revolutions and Political Thought: Conservativism and Liberalism
Readings on Conservativism:
Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1791burke.html
de Maistre, selestion from Essay on the Generative Principle at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1810demaistre.html.
von Metternich, selection from Political Confession of Faith at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1820metternich.html.
Readings on Liberalism:
Jefferson, "Declaration of Independence" (FIND YOUR OWN COPY! YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE!!!).
Seiyes, What is the Third Estate? (an excerpt) at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sieyes.html.
The 1789 French "Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen" at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/rightsof.htm.
Paine, The Rights of Man (a selection from text in response to Burke) at http://www.ushistory.org/paine/rights/c1-010.htm.
Wollstonecraft, "Dedication" and "Advertisement" to The Vindication of the Rights of Women at http://www.bartleby.com/144/
BEGIN READING The Autobiography of John Stuart Mill
Study questions on web readings for week five.
Week VI 23 Feb. British Liberalism and Mid-Nineteenth Century Social Theory: John Stuart Mill
Readings:
The Autobiography of John Stuart Mill (click on title for study questions)
Week VII 2 March Varieties of Early Socialist Thought and an Introduction to Karl Marx
PAPER ONE DUE FRIDAY, 4 MARCH by 5 PM
Readings: 1) Pre-Marxist Socialist Thought ("Utopians" and Anarchism):
Fourier, excerpt from Theory of Social Organization at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1820fourier.html
Owen, A New View of Society, "Dedication" and "Essay One" at http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/economics/owen/
Proudhon, What is Property?, chapter one (and as much else as you wish to read), at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/ProProp.html
Study questions on web readings for week seven.
2) Introduction to Karl Marx: The Portable Karl Marx, pp. xi-xiv (Kamenka's "Introduction"), and pp. 5-71 ("Marx the Man: Documents, Letters, Reminiscences").
Week VIII SPRING BREAK
Week IX 16 March Marx and Mid-Nineteenth Century Social Theory
Readings:
Karl
Marx, The Portable Karl Marx
The Formation of a Young Radical: Early Writings, 1841-44 (pp. 75-124)
Beyond
Philosophy to Communism, Political Economy, and the Materialist Conception
of History: Transitional Writings, 1844-47 (pp. 125-195)
Revolution
and Counter-Revolution: Political Writings, 1848-1852(pp. 197-323).
We will discuss these general issues:
What elements in Marx's methodology and in his basic ideas are clearly rooted in the traditions and ideas of the Enlightenment?
What aspects of Marx's ideas appear to be rooted in (or at least resonate with) Romanticism?
In what ways were Marx's views a response to the internal political contradictions in European society highlighted by the French Revolution?
In what sense were Marx's views a response to the internal social contradictions in European society highlighted by the Industrial Revolution?
How did Marx understand the nature of Freedom and Liberty?
How did Marx conceived of the function of the state in a liberal capitalist society?
How did Marx understood the social forces that shape the identity and character of individuals?
How did Marx understood the relationship between an individual and society?
How did Marx understand History and the causes of historical change?
How did Marx's analytical methods and conclusions compare and contrast to those of Mill?
To get at these issues, though, we have to deal with a lot of difficult material.
For that reason, You MUST answer the questions in the linked Marx study questions.
I may assign specific sections for group or individual reports.
Week X 23 March Further Discussion of Marx / de Tocqueville and Mid-Nineteenth Century Social Theory
6-7:15 pm: Discuss general questions on Marx (see above in syllabus)
I WILL CALL ON INDIVIDUALS TO ANSWER
7: 30-9 pm: Discussion of Tocqueville, based on individual reports
Readings:
Alexis de Tocqueville on Democracy, Revolution, and Society Introduction (pp. 1-46) and Chapters 5-8, 10 (pp. 163-319, 348-379)
LINKED de Tocqueville study guide and questions.
Report Assignments:
Question: How did de T understand the nature of Freedom and Liberty, and how did he understand the relationship between freedom and equality? REPORTERS: Boucher, Arnold, Barrett, Doutre
Question: How did de T understand the functions and purposes of the state, esp, in “modern” society? REPORTERS: Hank, Greene, Moore, Schultheis
Question: How did de T. understand the main forces that drive history—the causes of historical change? REPORTERS: Weinger , Shatrowskas, Stadnik, Veney, Belles
Week XI 30 March Further discussion of de Tocqueville and Mid-Nineteenth Century Social Theory
Readings:
Alexis de Tocqueville on Democracy, Revolution, and Society Introduction (pp. 1-46) and Chapters 5-8, 10 (pp. 163-319, 348-379)
Questions: See posted study question (study guide). Discussion of questions 1, 2, 3, and 7. I WILL CALL ON INDIVIDUALS TO ANSWER
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We also will discuss transformations in the arts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Please take a look at the paintings by
Renoir, at http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/renoir/parisian.jpg (1874) and http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/renoir/terrace.jpg (1881)
Monet, at http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/monet/haystacks/ (1890-91)
Van Gogh at http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/gogh/vineyards/gogh.old-vineyard.jpg and http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/gogh/portraits/gogh.berceuse.jpg (1889)
Gauguin at http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/gauguin/gauguin.christ-jaune.jpg (1889) and at http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/gauguin/gauguin.nave-moe.jpg (1894)
Picasso at http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Modern/pages/MOD_1.shtml (1904, 1910)
Braques, Leger, and Piccasso, etc. (various Cubist paintings. 1907-1914) at http://www.artchive.com/artchive/cubism.html
Kandinskii at http://www.rollins.edu/Foreign_Lang/Russian/kand1.jpg (1908), http://www.rollins.edu/Foreign_Lang/Russian/kand5.jpg (1909), and http://www.rollins.edu/Foreign_Lang/Russian/kand6.jpg (1911).
If you have a chance to do so, find a copy and listen to Stravinskii's Rites of Spring (1913), a path-breaking pre-war composition that paid homage to paganism.
Week XII 6 April Late Nineteenth Century Thought--from Science to Irrationalism; Irrationalism and Social Theory
Paper 2 due on 8 April by 5 PM
Readings:
Assigned to Dan Bucher, Scott, and JT
Darwin, Origin of the Species, "Introduction" and any other chapter that you might find of interest, at http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-origin-of-species/.
Huxley, "The Struggle for Existence" at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1888thhuxley-struggle.html.
Pearson, National Life From the Standpoint of Science at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1900pearsonl.html.
Assigned to Jeff and Sarah
Nietzsche, "An Attempt at Self-Criticism" from The Birth of Tragedy at http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/Nietzsche/tragedy_all.htm
Simmel, "How is Society Possible?"at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=SimSoci.xml&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=1&division=div1
Assigned to Marissa and Jarrod
Pareto, "The Circulation of Elites" at http://media.pfeiffer.edu/lridener/courses/CIRCELIT.HTML
Le Bon, The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind (read the Front Matter, in particular, the Introduction "The Era of Crowds") at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/BonCrow.html
Assigned to Dan Barrett, Jon and Mark
Weber, on Max Weber on Bureaucracy from http://www.faculty.rsu.edu/~felwell/Theorists/Weber/Whome.htm
Weber, from The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/WEBER/WeberCH2.html
Assigned to Glen and Brett
Durkheim, the sections on "Anomie," "Suicide," and "Crime" in the on-line Durkheim Archive at http://durkheim.itgo.com/anomie.html , http://durkheim.itgo.com/suicide.html, and http://durkheim.itgo.com/crime.html.
Assignment: Each of you are assigned to read specific documents (see above).
Think about how each of these authors fit into the intellectual traditions we have discussed in previous weeks: how would you "place" each of them in relation to these earlier movements?
What common threads can you find linking the readings for this week to last week's readings by Karl Marx?
I have given the first set of readings the title "From Science to Irrationalism"--what do you think I had in mind by this title, and how do the readings relate to this idea?
How can we "fix" these "thinkers" into the historical context of the late 19th century and the years leading up to World War One?
Some of these authors (in particular, le Bon and Pareto) might be seen as "proto-fascists"... How can we tie together the ideas of people like Durkheim and Weber with those of Le Bon, Pareto, or the various social Darwinists and race theorists (as well as Nietzsche)?
To get at these issues, I want you to Answer linked study questions.
Week XIII 13 April World War One and the Death of Progress/ Freud and Psychology as History
Readings:
Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents (click on title for study questions)
Week XIV 13 April The Power of the Irrational. Freud, Fascism and Nazism.
We will being by discussing Freud.
Readings:
Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents
Questions:
We will focus on these three issues of Freud's late thought:
A. the relationship between the individual and society
B. the nature/ problem of human freedom
C. how humans create meaning in their lives
To get at these, we will begin with the linked study questions
If we have time, we will discuss the "intellectual" basis of Fascism and Nazism.
Readings:
Mussolini, "What is Fascism" at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/mussolini-fascism.html
Please note that there are several full-text versions of Mein Kampf online. Many re posted by neo-Nazi groups--for instance, "stormfront.org." PLEASE NOTE that if you visit these sites, they will collect information from your computer, and you may end up on their mailing lists....
Adolf Hitler Reichstag Speech 20 February 20, 1938 at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/wwii/bluebook/blbk05.htm
Also, please browse through documents and read anything that interests you at:
The Modern History Sourcebook on Nazism, at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook43.html
The Nazi Propaganda section of the German Propaganda Archive page at http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/
In particular, I want you to think about how the ideas of Hitler and the Nazis relate to our previous readings.
Week XV 27 April World War Two and Existentialism
If we have time, I will give a "mini-lecture" on main currents of Soviet intellectual life. But we will spend almost all of the evening discussing Existentialism.
Readings:
Sartre, Nausea
Questions:
We will have a "free" discussion of the novel. But I want you to think in particular about what Sartre is saying about:
A. the relationship between the individual and society
B. the nature/ problem of human freedom
C. how humans create meaning in their lives
Finals Week: Your final paper is due by 6 pm on Weds, 4 May.
