HON 172: The Human Event - ASU



HON 171: The Human Event

Spring 2004

Instructor: Dr. Diane Facinelli

Office: Irish A 214

Phone: 480-965-8337

E-Mail: Facinelli@asu.edu

Fax: 480-965-0760 (The Barrett Honors College)

Office Hours: 8:15—9:15 Tuesday & Thursday

3:00—3:30 Tuesday & Thursday

Other times can be arranged by appointment

Course Description: This is a two-semester, interdisciplinary honors course designed to introduce students to honors studies at ASU. The course focuses on the principal and controversial questions concerning the nature, purpose, and destiny of humanity as they have been explored and debated from earliest writings to today. Required readings are all primary sources taken from religion, literature, philosophy, political and economic theory, psychology, and science. The main concern is with encouraging you to think critically and to express your thoughts effectively both orally and in writing. You will be graded primarily on your analysis and communication skills; but these skills, in turn, can be mastered only as a result of careful and complete reading. The main objectives of the course are:

► To broaden the student's cultural background through studying the history of ideas.

► To improve the student's skill in the critical analysis of written material.

► To improve the student's ability to express ideas orally and in writing.

► To encourage students to think broadly and seriously about the nature of human existence and to formulate their views on related issues of ethics, philosophy, religion, politics, etc.

Requirements: (All grades are based on a standard 100-point scale.)

Essays 60% (20% each)

Quizzes on assigned readings 20%

Class participation 20%

Quizzes: Assigned readings are subject to unannounced quizzes at the beginning of each class. Approximately 9-13 quizzes can be expected during the semester. Quizzes cannot be made up if missed. Students who are late to class will not be allowed to take the quiz. Any evidence of "helping" another student or being "helped" on a quiz will result in an "E" for the person receiving the information and the one providing it. Quizzes will be multiple-choice, fill in the blank, short answer, or brief essays and will be graded on the following scale:

A=100% (-0)

B=85% (-1)

C=75% (-2)

D=60% (-3)

E=25% (-4)

Attendance: Since this course depends on your active participation in discussions, attendance is required and roll is taken. More than two absences will result in an "E" (no credit) for the class-participation grade (20% of overall grade). If a serious problem will keep you away from class, notify me as soon as possible. Please arrive on time for class; late arrivals interrupt discussions.

Class Discussions: Class time focuses on discussing the assigned readings and the ideas and questions they raise. You should expect to be challenged by the instructor or fellow students no matter what view you take. Such confrontations help you clarify your position and evaluate your reasoning and that of your challenger(s). Your class participation will be evaluated not on the "correctness" of your interpretation but on whether or not your comments reflect a detailed study of the work and a serious effort to evaluate it and the issues it raises. Grading standards are:

A (90-99%) This student participates in every class, arrives on time with prepared comments and/or questions about the readings, at least occasionally initiates the discussion, does not try to dominate class, listens carefully to other students’ remarks and readily responds to these as well as the instructor’s comments and questions, does not talk to the person(s) around him/her rather than participating in the discussion.

B (80-89%) This student participates in most discussions, gives evidence of having read the assignment, does not disrupt class by making comments to those around him/her, pays close attention to what others say during the discussion.

C (70-79%) This student is overly quiet, rarely participating, and is sometimes unprepared and/or seems uninterested in the ideas of other class members.

D-E (50-69%) This student seldom or never participates, sleeps during class, seems inattentive, disrupts class by talking to the person(s) around him/her rather than participating in the discussion, or has more than two absences.

You are encouraged to develop questions and observations on your own. Everyone will be given a chance to participate. Each student (as part of a group) will be required to lead a day’s class discussion and will have the opportunity to participate in debates and to act out roles from our readings.

Essays: Three out-of-class essays are required. Assignments will be handed out at least two weeks before the essay is due. Your essay must develop a clear thesis that is in response to the issue you are examining. Your essay needs to offer a coherent, logically presented argument, each paragraph adding a relevant contribution or qualification to your thesis. Preparing a preliminary outline, complete with thesis statement, can be an enormous help in ensuring the logical consistency of your essays. Note that this is not a research assignment; it is an exercise in critical thinking and effective writing. You are not to consult outside works in preparing the essay. (If you wish to do further library study on the topic, please wait until after finishing the essay.) In proving your thesis, you should rely on reasoned argument and the internal evidence of the material you are considering. Be careful not to turn your essay into a mere summary of the author's views or of the plot. You will be graded not on the "correctness" of your thesis, but on the quality of your writing, the clarity and rationality of your arguments, and the coherence and originality of your essay as a whole. If you have any questions about the nature of the assignment or have trouble getting started with it, please see me as soon as possible.

Essay Requirements: All essays must be typed (double-spaced). Use one-inch margins on the sides. Put the title of your essay, your name, and the instructor's name on a title page. All quotations must be cited. Use parenthetical documentation, not endnotes or footnotes. For quotations longer than three lines, indent and single-space the quotation. Make sure quotations are exact and from the assigned text. For quotations longer than three lines, indent and single-space the quotation. Remember that this is an essay, not a research paper. Essays should be between 1400 and 1800 words. Essays of fewer than 1250 words of text will receive a reduced grade.

Late Essays & Submitting Essays: Late papers lose 5 points per day (not per class). You must submit BOTH a hard copy and an electronic copy of all three papers. Send your paper (Word file preferred) to me at Facinelli@asu.edu before the due date/time specified, and submit a printed copy as well. Keep a copy of all the papers you submit.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the borrowing of the words or ideas of another author and presenting them as your own. In short, do not try to pass off someone else’s work or ideas as your own. Since the writing in this course consists of essays based on the required readings rather than research papers, I assume that materials taken from secondary sources will not be used. If such material should appear, it must be fully cited in an endnote. ASU considers plagiarism an extremely serious act of academic dishonesty. It is similarly dishonest to have a paper ghostwritten or to turn in a paper that you previously used in another class. Your writing must be your own and must be an original effort. Any student guilty of plagiarism will fail the paper and the course. FYI: All instructors have up to two years to change a grade because of academic dishonesty, starting from the end of the semester in which the paper was submitted.

The Human Event Writing Center: The Barrett Honors College now offers its own writing center to assist all students with papers for HON classes only. Directed by BHC faculty and staffed by BHC writing tutors who themselves have successfully completed both HON 171 and 172, the Human Event Writing Center offers small group workshops and individual tutoring on writing academic essays for your HON courses. Its goal is to help you improve your lifelong writing and critical thinking skills, so please take advantage of its services. Go to the HEWC web site at for updated tutoring and workshop schedules, appointment information, academic background on the staff, and internet links related to academic essay writing.

Further Notes Concerning Essays: This is a formal essay. Traditional rules of grammar and sentence structure apply. Write concisely. Avoid contractions, abbreviations, colloquialisms, slang, etc.

Avoid the first person singular if possible ("I think that . . . ," "I believe that . . . ," etc.). In a well-written essay, the reader can tell what is your judgment and what is not.

Use the active rather than the passive voice ("The Book of Job states . . ." versus "It is stated in the Book of Job . . . ").

Be cautious about trying to prove a point merely by citing some "authority." In critical thinking, a statement is not considered true simply because the Bible, or Karl Marx, or George W. Bush says it is. Back up claims with evidence and reasoned argument.

Underline or italicize titles of books, long poems (Odyssey, etc.), and plays.

Write concretely, concisely, and economically. Say as much as possible in as few words as possible. This does not mean you should write mostly in shorter sentences; look for ways to combine sentences if you have many short ones.

Introduction

Your introduction needs to indicate the topic under discussion (include the title of work(s) you are focusing on), the issue involved, and your thesis. Every essay you write for this class must have a clear thesis, stated in the introduction that sets forth your argument. A thesis is in answer to a question. Beware of questions that seem easy to answer. Maybe there are possibilities you have not explored. You should be able to state your thesis in one or two sentences.

Body

The main portion of your essay is then devoted to arguments defending your thesis. Each paragraph should be organized around a single idea relating to your thesis, and everything in the paragraph needs to bear on that idea (expressed in topic sentence). The number of these paragraphs and their organization will depend on the type of case you are developing and may vary greatly with each student. The principle of paragraph development here is an argument, never a description. When you finish each paragraph, ask

yourself: Is it clear how this paragraph is an argument in support of my thesis statement? Remember to raise potential objections to your own thesis and then refute the objections. This shows the reader that you have anticipated these objections to your position and have solid reasons for rejecting them.

There is no set length for paragraphs. As a general rule, however, aim for 1-2 paragraphs per page. If you notice a tendency to have more than 2 paragraphs on a page, you are probably not adequately developing (explaining, justifying, citing evidence for) the main idea in each paragraph. Also be careful with long paragraphs. A paragraph of more than one page may indicate that you drifted away from the main idea.

Conclusion

A good conclusion should not merely summarize your paper's position, but should add something not yet said, something which follows logically from the preceding paragraphs. What this will generally involve is a refinement of your original thesis statement. You should be able to reaffirm it but with greater qualification and new insights that would have been premature had they been stated at the beginning of your paper.

Parenthetical Documentation

When citing a prose work, give the page number on which the quotation or paraphrased material can be found. For plays, cite the act, scene, and line number(s). Cite line numbers for poems:

The speaker in "A Modest Proposal" says that his ideas "will not be liable to the least objection" (273).

In Tartuffe, Madame Pernelle berates Elmire:

And as for you, child, let me add

That your behavior is extremely bad,

And a poor example for these children, too.

Their dear, dead mother did far better than you.

(1.1.25-28)

J. Alfred Prufrock declares in a moment of apparent strength, "'I am Lazarus, come from the dead, / Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all'" (94-95).

Grading Standards for Essays: The Barrett Honors College is committed to high standards of writing and critical inquiry in all honors courses, and the faculty attempt to provide thorough critical evaluations of all student essays. You should, therefore, expect a considerable amount of writing on your papers when they are returned. Please keep in mind that this criticism is intended to be constructive rather than disparaging.

A (93 and above)=extraordinary An A paper is outstanding in every way: in the originality of its thought, in the persuasiveness of its argument, and in the clarity and power of its writing.

A- to B+ (87-92)=excellent to very good An essay in this range, while not as notable as an A paper, is nevertheless a fine piece of work. Such an essay has a thesis that goes beyond what has been discussed in class. Everything in the essay relates to that thesis. The paper is tightly organized, with each paragraph focused on a single main idea (expressed in a topic sentence). Like its content, the style of the essay is above average. The writing is clear and free of grammatical and sentence-structure errors.

B (83-86)=good A B grade on an essay indicates that the student’s writing is approximately on the level to be expected of a student in an upper-division honors course. The prose is generally clear and readable, though some sentences may be awkward and there may be a very few errors in grammar and punctuation. The essay shows serious thought, though some of its arguments may be less than original. For the most part, it is well organized.

B- to C+ (77-82)=fair An essay in this range is neither especially bad nor distinctively good. It may have a promising thesis but argue that thesis in a confusing or unconvincing way. Conversely, it may be clearly written but show little evidence of original thought.

C to D+=below expectations An essay earning a grade of C or below has serious weaknesses in both style and content.

Guide to Essay Comments: Please refer to this information when reviewing your evaluated papers.

thesis need a clearly stated, sharply focused thesis statement

intro introductory paragraph needs further development

¶ start new paragraph

¶ trans need transition between paragraphs

¶ coh paragraph does not cohere, "hang together"

¶ dev add supporting details to develop paragraph

topic sent paragraph needs topic sentence to indicate focus

agree p/a disagreement between pronoun and antecedent

agree s/v disagreement between subject and verb

awk awkward

cap / l c capital letter(s) needed / lower case needed

comb sent combine sentences

run-on run-on sentence

frag sentence fragment

gen generalization — Usually, avoid generalizations, superlatives, exaggerations.

logic faulty logic

wordy express ideas more concisely

m m misplaced modifier

ss sentence structure (faulty structure)

person person — Do not switch person; usually stay in third person and avoid

rep / red awkward or ineffective repetition / redundant

sent var sentence variety needed

sp spelling

tense verb tense (be consistent)

trans transition needed

passive usually, avoid passive voice

wc / ww word choice (Choose the correct, specific word.) / wrong word used

col colloquial word; use more formal language

pos possessive form; usually, add apostrophe

/ / use parallel structure

^ insert a word or words

connect

delete

add a space

Some Advice Concerning Run-On Sentences:

Do not join sentences (independent clauses) together with a comma or with no punctuation mark between them:

unacceptable We will take flight 217 to New York, it is the quickest flight.

acceptable We will take flight 217 to New York. It is the quickest flight.

unacceptable It was late in the fourth quarter the score was six to nothing.

acceptable It was late in the fourth quarter. The score was six to nothing.

You can correct run-on sentences in a number of ways. You can use a period to separate the sentences:

unacceptable Lori always has been interested in sports, give her a ball, a bat, or a tennis racket and she is perfectly happy.

acceptable Lori always has been interested in sports. Give her a ball, a bat, or a tennis racket and she is perfectly happy.

You can use a semicolon in place of a comma, if the sentences are close in thought:

unacceptable The process is not hard, it just takes patience.

acceptable The process is not hard; it just takes patience.

You can insert a coordinate conjunction, with a comma, between the two sentences.

unacceptable The bus stops just long enough for tourists to get one photograph then it takes them someplace else.

acceptable The bus stops just long enough for tourists to get one photograph, and then it takes them someplace else.

Or you can make one sentence into a subordinate clause and embed it in the other sentence:

unacceptable Sharon did not take that part-time job, she needed time for her studies.

acceptable Sharon did not take that part-time job because she needed time for her studies.

**Many run-on sentences are caused by adverbs such as then, therefore, however, consequently, nevertheless, furthermore, hence, thus, besides, indeed, and rather which the writer mistakes for conjunctions. When these words are used between independent clauses, they should come after a semicolon, after a conjunction, or they should be capitalized to start a new sentence:

unacceptable It rained for most of the day, then it began to sleet.

acceptable It rained for most of the day; then it began to sleet.

acceptable It rained for most of the day, and then it began to sleet.

acceptable It rained for most of the day. Then it began to sleet.

unacceptable He ran to the door, however, she had already gone.

acceptable He ran to the door. However, she had already gone.

Final Thoughts:

► If your cell phone rings, I get to answer it.

► If you need to leave class early for any reason, you need to consult with me before class begins.

► A class syllabus is a binding contract between the instructor and student.

► Students must conduct themselves according to the ASU policies posted online at

► See for information on student academic grievance procedures.

Reading Assignments

Required Texts:

Wilkie and Hurt, Literature of the Western World, vol. 1 (5th edition)

Bhagavad-Gita, Trans. Barbara Stoler Miller (Bantam)—This edition only

Assignments must be read prior to the assigned date.

Tues. 1/20: Introduction to the course; Critical thinking

Thurs. 1/22: Close reading exercise; from Genesis, 65-73

Tues. 1/27: Aeschylus, The Eumenides, 612-16; 705-40

Thurs. 1/29: Sophocles, Antigone, 741-43; 791-839

Tues. 2/3: Thucydides, The Peloponnesian Wars, 1250-59; Aristophanes, Lysistrata, 911-66

Thurs. 2/5: Plato, Apology, 1200-19

Tues. 2/10: Plato, from Crito (AR); Plato, “Parable of the Cave,” 1197-1200

Thurs. 2/12: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1220-25; from Politics (AR)

Tues. 2/17: Essay writing workshop

Thurs. 2/19: Virgil, The Aeneid, Books 1 & 2 (967-1009)

Tues. 2/24: Virgil, The Aeneid, Book 4 (1025-42); Ovid, 1079-86; 1119-29

Thurs. 2/26: from The Gospel According to St. Matthew, 1130-38

Fri. 2/27: Paper 1 due before 5pm

Tues. 3/2: “Problems of Faith”; St. Augustine, from The Enchiridion (AR)

Thurs. 3/4: The Bhagavad-Gita, The First Teaching—The Eighth Teaching

Tues. 3/9: The Bhagavad-Gita, The Ninth Teaching—The Eighteenth Teaching

Thurs. 3/11: Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love, 1819-24; Chrétien de Troyes,

“Lancelot” (AR)

Spring Break

Tues.3/23: Dante, Dante, Inferno, cantos I-V, 1398-1429

Thurs.3/25: Dante, Inferno, cantos XIII-XV, 1455-67; XXVII-XXXIV, 1510-43

Tues. 3/30: Pope Eugene III, General Summons to a Crusade, 1810-11; Ibn-Munqidh, from

Memoirs 1812-18; Chaucer, Prologue, 1674-76 (Knight, Squire, Yeoman)

Thurs. 4/1: Chaucer, Prologue, 1686 (Miller); Prologue to the Miller's Tale; The Miller's Tale,

1692-1707

Mon. 4/5: Paper 2 due before 5pm

Tues. 4/6: Chaucer, Prologue, 1683-84 (Wife of Bath); Prologue to the Wife of Bath's Tale;

The Wife of Bath's Tale, 1708-33

Thurs. 4/8: Pico, Oration on the Dignity of Man (AR)

Tues. 4/13: Boccaccio, The Decameron, 1876-1915

Thurs. 4/15: More, Utopia (AR)

Tues. 4/20: Machiavelli, from The Prince, 2282-88; Montaigne, “Of Cannibals,” 1944-58

Thurs. 4/22: Luther, from The Ninety-Five Theses, 2300-02; Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 1

Tues. 4/27 Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Acts 2 & 3

Thurs. 4/29: Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Acts 4 & 5

Tues. 5/4: Evaluation and Review

Fri. 5/7: Final Paper due before 5pm; no late papers accepted

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