H113 Introduction to Western Civilization (1)

 

Class No: 8552                                   Class times: 4:00- 5:15 Tuesday/Thursday

Instructor:  John Lary                          Lecture room: 219 Cavanaugh

Office: CA 509 D                                Office hours: 1:00- 2:15, Tuesday and Thursday or

Email: jlary@indiana.edu                      by appointment

 

 

Course Description and Goals:

This course is the first part of an introduction to the intellectual and cultural traditions of Western Civilization. We shall examine this tradition by looking at social and political institutions, philosophical arguments, artistic creations, and much more. The course will cover a broad sweep of time (roughly 3,000 B.C.- 1640’s), and a vast range of territory (from the Near East to Northern Europe). The purposes of this class is however NOT to just assemble a grocery list of key facts in the history of western civilization. What we want to do instead is to begin to see patterns and tensions within the specific traditions of the West. The main purpose of this course is therefore three fold:

1)      to introduce you to the western intellectual and cultural traditions

2)      to help you acquire the analytical and synthesizing skills historians use to study the past

3)      to improve your writing skills

 

 

Assigned Texts:

T.F.X. Noble et al., Western Civilization: The Continuing Experiment, Vol. 1,  Dolphin Edition (2006)

Plato, The Phaedo

Tacitus, Agricola and Germania

Bartolome de las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies

 

Books can be purchased at the IUPUI bookstore.  In addition, please note that all books have been placed on one-day reserve at the University Library circulation desk. 

 

 

Course Grade:

Attendance (15%)

Book review (20%)

Midterm exam (20%)

Final exam (25%)

Quizzes- best 4 out of 5 (20%)

 

Grading Scale for final grades:

93-99.9 A
90-92.9 A-
88-89.9 B+
82-87.9 B
80-81.9 B-
78-79.9 C+
72-77.9 C
70-71.9 C-
68-69.9 D+
62-67.9 D
60-61.9 D-
0-59.9 F

 

Incompletes:

Incompletes are only available in cases where the student is physically incapable of completing the work.

 

Evaluation of Class Attendance and Quizzes:

This course is primarily lecture-based, but students are encouraged to ask questions and express their ideas. The general rule is the more participation, the better.  In order to do well in the class, students are recommended to do the reading before class, have good attendance, and above all bring curiosity with you to class.

In order to keep an accurate record of attendance, a sign-up sheet will be handed out at the beginning of each class.  It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that their name is on the sign-up sheet.  Students are allowed a total of four absences for the entire semester without it affecting their attendance grade.  Each additional absence will result in 2 points being taken from their attendance grade (and hence from their final grade).  There is no need to explain to the instructor why class was missed except in the case of a grave emergency.  Should a grave emergency arise, please contact your instructor at jlary@indiana.edu and let him know the specifics of the situation as soon as possible.

Unannounced short quizzes will be held throughout the semester and will test your knowledge of class materials up to that point.  The quizzes will be based on materials from lectures, the textbook and the three additional texts.  The format is short answer/identification and should require no more than 10 minutes of class time.  Should a student be absent on the day of a quiz, they will not be allowed to take a make-up quiz later. Instead, all students are allowed to drop the lowest of their five quiz grades (whether this was caused by a low mark or due to an absence). I will hand out in advance a sample quiz so that you will have some understanding of its format prior to taking them.  

 

Administrative Withdrawal:

If you miss more than half our class meetings within the first four weeks of the semester without contacting me, you will be administratively withdrawn from this section.  Our class meets twice per week; thus if you miss more than four classes in the first four weeks, you will be withdrawn.  Administrative withdrawal may have academic, financial, and financial aid implications.  Administrative withdrawal will take place after the full refund period, and if you are administratively withdrawn from the course you will not be eligible for a tuition refund.  If you have questions about the administrative withdrawal policy at any point during the semester, please contact me.

 

Exams:

A midterm exam will take place at the end of the 8th week.  A final exam will be held on the last class of the semester.  The mid-term and the final exam will test your knowledge of materials from class lectures as well as from your assigned readings (the textbook and three other texts). The format will consist not only of short answer/identification questions but also of essay questions which will test your ability to synthesize materials and clarify key points. I will hand out a sample midterm, and final in advance for you to become familiar with this structure as well.    

 

Book review:

As an additional writing exercise, students will write a short (3-4 page, 12-pt font, double-spaced) book review on one (your choice) of the three books you have read for the class. The review is due Thursday, April 11.  Students will be given a question to which they should respond to the best of their ability.  Late papers will be accepted but will lose a letter grade for each class tardy.

 

Plagiarism:

To take a sentence or a paragraph from another source is morally wrong, and easy to trace. Students who plagiarize will receive an F for the assignment. Please talk with the instructor beforehand if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism. 

 

Office Hours:

One of the benefits of being a teacher, as I see it, is having the opportunity to talk with students about their ideas.  I would like to encourage you to talk with me one-on-one about the specifics of your work or any concerns you may have.  I hold office hours between 1:00-2:15 each Tuesday and Thursday. Should your work or family schedule not allow you to meet with me during these office hours, contact me via email at jlary@indiana.edu and we can see if we can’t find another agreeable time to meet.  I check my email approximately twice a day.  However, please don’t expect an immediate turnaround.  In most circumstances, I will get back to you within 24 hours.  (For better or worse, I do not yet own a cell-phone). 

One last thing worth considering is that it is always a good idea to discuss assignments well in advance of due dates.  In short, please don’t wait until the end of the semester to discuss any concerns you may have.  The earlier you and I talk, the earlier we will be able to fix any problem you may have.        

 

 

Schedule of Classes                                                               Days of the Week                 

1. Course Introduction                                                           (T, Jan. 10)

 

2. Early civilizations (3000 B.C.- 1150 B.C.)                       

Readings: Noble, Ch.1                                                  (T, Jan. 12 + R, 17)     

 

3.  From Assyrians to Early Greece                                    

Readings: Noble, Ch. 2                                                 (T, Jan. 19 + R, 24)

 

4.  The Culture of the Greek Polis (750 B.C.- 350 B.C.)

Readings: Noble, Ch. 3 and Plato, Symposium             (T, Jan. 26 + R, Jan. 31)

 

5.  The Hellenistic World (350-30 B.C.)

Readings: Noble, Ch. 4                                                 (T, Feb. 2 + R, Feb. 7)

 

6.  The Culture of Republican Rome (509-31 B.C.)

Readings: Noble, Ch. 5 and Tacitus, Agricola and Germania (T, Feb. 9 + R, Feb. 14)

 

7.  The Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity (31 B.C.- A.D. 284)

Readings: Noble, Ch. 6                                                 (T, Feb. 16, + R, Feb. 21)

 

8.  The World of Late Antiquity, 284-ca. 600

Readings: Noble, Ch. 7                                                 (T, Feb.23 + R, Feb. 28)

MID-TERM                                                                             (R, Feb. 28)

 

9.  Early Medieval Civilizations, 600-900

Readings: Noble, Ch. 8                                                 (T., March 2 + R, March 7)

Book review due                                                                     

 

10.  The High Middle Ages, 900-1300

Readings: Noble, Ch. 9 and Ch. 10                                           (T, March 9 + R, March 21)

 

Spring Break- March 13- 19

 

11.  Crisis and Recovery in Late Medieval Europe, 1300-1500

Readings: Noble, Ch. 11                                                           (T, March 23 + R, March 28)

 

12.  The Renaissance

Readings: Noble, Ch. 12                                                           (T, March 30 + R, April 4)

 

13.  European Overseas Expansion to 1600

Readings: Noble, Ch. 13 and de las Casas, A Short Account (T, April 6 + R, April 11)

All Book Reviews Due                                                             (R, April 11)

 

14.  The Age of the Reformation

Readings: Noble, Ch. 14                                                           (T, April 13 + April 18

 

15.  Europe in the Age of Religious Wars, 1560-1648

Readings: Noble, Ch. 15                                                           (T, April 20 + R, April 25))

 

16.  Conclusion and Review                                                  (T, April 27)

 

Final Exam (Friday May 5, 3:30- 5:30)