History 114 Syllabus Fall 2003 Section 406
History 114
Western Civilization II
Fall 2003
Instructor: Professor Demetrius Glover
Class Time: Tuesday Thursday 2:30-3:45
Office Hours: Tuesday Thursday 1:15-2:15
and
Thursday 4:30-5:15
Office: CA 243-B
Office Phone: 278-9021
E-mail: deglover@iupui.edu
Purpose
This course introduces students to the Modern portion of Western European
History a period spanning from the Renaissance to the present day. In
addition to learning the historical narrative and conceptual themes of the
modern western civilization, students will grapple with the problems of doing
history by reading primary resources and developing their analytical skills
through discussions and written assignments.
Required Texts
John P. McKay, Bennett D. Hill, and John Buckler. A History of Western
Society Since 1300.
René Descartes. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First
Philosophy.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The Basic Political Writings.
Karl Marx and Friederich Engels. The Communist Manifesto.
Bill Gertz. Breakdown: The Failure of the
Exam 30%
There is one exam, a cumulative final exam. The
exam is worth 30% of the final grade. The exam tests the students’
knowledge and understanding of the entire body of lecture and textbook
material. The exam will be a thirty-minute oral exam. At the start
of the course students will be provided with a list of five questions; at the
final exam the students will be required to produce a fifteen-minute (estimated
time) answer to one of two questions chosen at random by sortition and also be
required to answer follow-up questions to his or her initial answer for the
remaining time. The exams will be held from December from 8th to the
13th.
Essay 30%
Each student must write one five-page paper either on
The Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philospohy,
The Basic Political Writings, or The Communist Manifesto. Three weeks prior to
the due date of each paper, the instructor will hand out an assignment sheet
containing 3 questions. Each student must address one of the three
questions in his or her essay.
Discussions 40%
There are four days of class time devoted to discussing the primary sources
(The Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philospohy,
The Basic Political Writings, The Communist Manifesto, or Breakdown: The
Failure of American Intelligence to Defeat Global Terror). Each day of
discussion is worth 10% of the final grade. Attendance and participation
in the discussion is mandatory to receive credit. The discussions
primarily address the questions for the written assignment. For the more
ambitious students, I request that three students volunteer to be the primary
discussant for one of the essay questions. The primary discussant (preferably
someone who has written an essay addressing this question) will take five
minutes to explain his/her response to an essay question. The class will
then use the primary discussant’s interpretation as starting point to explore
that issue. In addition to speaking in front of the class the primary
discussants will also assist the instructor in tracking class participation.
For these two duties primary discussants are guaranteed the full 10% for
that day of discussion.
Extra Credit 10%
For the ambitious student or for those who wish to
make up for lost points, there is an extra credit assignment. Although
students must write a five-page paper on The Discourse on Method and
Meditations on First Philospohy, The Basic Political
Writings, or The Communist Manifesto they may earn extra credit by doing the
paper assignment for Breakdown: The Failure of American Intelligence to Defeat
Global Terror. This essay will be worth up to 10% extra credit, depending
upon the quality of the essay.
Attendance -10%
Attendance in this course is mandatory. Students are expected to attend
every course lecture and discussion. During the twenty-four class
lectures, attendance will be randomly checked ten times. Each absence
deducts one percent from the final grade.
Lecture and Reading Schedule
To reach the chronological goals of this course the
lectures only provide a general overview and thematic approach to the material.
The textbook is intended to fill any informative gaps in the material.
Under various dates a reading assignment from the textbook is listed.
Students should have those selections read by that day of class.
This preparation allows for a better understanding of the lecture
material and achievement in the course.
August 21, 2003
Lecture: Introduction to History
Readings: McKay Preface
August 26, 2003
Lecture: The Renaissance
Readings: McKay Chapters 12 and 13
August 28, 2003
Lecture: European Exploration
Readings: McKay pages 502-512
September 2, 2003
Lecture: The German Reformation
Readings: McKay Chapter 14
September 4, 2003
Lecture: The Reformation Across Europe
September 9, 2003
Lecture: The Wars of Religion and the Military Revolution
Readings: McKay Chapter 15
September 11, 2003
Lecture: The Scientific Revolution
Readings: McKay pages 595-605
September 16, 2003
Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy Discussion
Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy Paper Due
September 18, 2003
Lecture: The Rise of Absolutism
Readings: McKay Chapters 16 and 17 and pages 605-627
September 23, 2003
Lecture: Constitutionalism in England
September 25, 2003
Lecture: The Enlightenment
September 30, 2003
Lecture: The Seven Years War and the American Revolution
Readings: McKay Chapters 19 and 20
October 2, 2003
Lecture: The French Revolution I
Readings: McKay Chapter 21
October 7, 2003
Lecture: The French Revolution II
October 9, 2003
Lecture: The Balance of Power
Readings: McKay Chapter 23
October 14, 2003
Lecture: Romanticism
October 16, 2003
Basic Political Writings Discussion
Basic Political Writings Paper Due
October 21, 2003
Lecture: The Industrial Revolution
Readings: McKay Chapters 22 and 24
October 23, 2003
Lecture: The Italian and German Unifications
Readings: McKay Chapter 25
October 28, 2003
Lecture: Western Imperialism
Readings: McKay Chapter 26
October 30, 2003
The Communist Manifesto Discussion
The Communist Manifesto Paper Due
November 4, 2003
Lecture: World War I
Readings: McKay Chapter 27
November 6, 2003
Lecture: The Russian Revolution
November 11, 2003
Lecture: The Failed Peace
Readings: McKay Chapters 28 and 29
November 13, 2003
Lecture: World War II
November 18, 2003
Lecture: The Cold War
Readings: McKay Chapter 30
November 20, 2003
Lecture: Cultural Revolutions of the Twentieth Century
November 25, 2003
Lecture: The New World Order
Readings: McKay Chapter 31
December 2, 2003
Breakdown: The Failure of American Intelligence to Defeat Global Terror
Discussion
Breakdown: The Failure of American Intelligence to Defeat Global Terror Extra
Credit Paper Due
December 8 -13, 2003
Oral Examinations (individual times to be scheduled)