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Home > Curriculum > Course Descriptions > Fall 1999 Newsletter
Fall 1999 Newsletter
Literature | History | Science | Arts and Letters | Special Studies Winter and Spring 2000 Preview LITERATURE HC 101H CRN 13110 4 Credits The texts are The Odyssey, Sophocles I, Plato's Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito, The Aeneid, Dante's Inferno, and Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Through these, we will study changing models of heroes, such as Odysseus, Penelope, Oedipus, Antigone, Socra tes, Aeneas, Dante the Wanderer, and Chaucer's Theseus and Knight. We will give attention to reading the poetic or prose texts closely, to some of the larger controversies raised by these great works, as well as to the continuing conflict between politica l and private commitments--as drama-tized by the epics, plays, dialogues and stories. We will also look at some particularly current literary criticism, which places these characters in a more contemporary context. The major emphasis of the class will be on discussion--the more debate the better. There will be three short papers and a journal (a chance to explore your responses to the lit-erature in a more informal context). MWF 9:00-9:50 307 CHA HC 101H CRNs 13111 or 13112 4 Credits How should we live and what should we value? Some of the greatest (and worst!) minds in history have attempted to answer this question, none definitively. Yet it must be answered, both by each of us individually and by communities. Inthis course we wil l be examining how writers from Ancient Greece to Renaissance Italy created epics, plays, and dialogues, that confronted the most difficult issues of living together as human beings. We will consider these works from a variety of perspectives: in terms of the ancient forms and ideals they promoted, and in terms of their legacy, both positive and negative. Texts will include "The Grand Inquisitor" (Dostoevsky), The Iliad (Homer), the "Apology" and "Crito" (Plato), Antigone (Sophocles), The Aeneid (Virgil), and The Inferno (Dante). Class time will focus on discussion based on careful reading. There will be three short papers (2-5 pages), ungraded exercises, both in and out of class, a mid-term, and a final exam. CRN 13111: MWF 10:00-10:50 307 CHA
HC 101H CRN 13113 or 13114 4 credits In this survey of ancient and early medieval western literature, we will concentrate on narrative (plot and genre) and identity (character), and our role as inheritors of the western tradition. We will assess our texts with an eye to their influences, paying close attention to history. Our interest will be particularly drawn to the continuity of narrative forms. Our reading list will include The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, Aristotle's Poetics, The Women of Troy, the Book of Job, The Aeneid, Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy, a play by Hrotsvita, Beowulf, and a lai by Marie de France. Written work for the class will include ungraded quotation-response papers, three short (four page) formal papers, and a comprehensive final examination. Some special events related to the class will be held in the Honors Dorm during the term. CRN 13113: UH 9:30-10:50 307 CHA
HC 101H CRN 13115 4 Credits This term we will be examining how different cultures and peoples from ancient times to the late Middle Ages defined both virtuous conduct and hero(in)ism. To do so we will study primarily that epitome of heroic ideals, the epic. The main genre studied will be poetry. We will try to answer several questions involving whether standards for female conduct always differ from those expected of men; whether men can be heroes without being warriors; are humans free to choose their destinies-and if not, how d oes that leave room for heroism? Texts studied will include the following: Epics: Homer, The Iliad; Virgil, The Aeneid; the Beowulf poet, Beowulf; Wu Chen-en, Journey to the West. Other forms will include the chivalric romance (Le Romance de Silence); the epyllion (The Voyage of the A rgo); wisdom literature (Appocrypha-"Book of Judith"); Greek tragedy (Euripides, Medea); lyric poetry (Sappho). Class will consist of lecture/discussion with questions, and will require the following: three short papers (3-5 pages each) or two papers AND an optional literary response journal kept all term. There will also be small, as well as large, group discus sion. No midterm, but several, "plus, check, minus" assignments (e.g., writing "epic lines"). There will be an in-class final, but with a study sheet a week in advance. UH 14:00-15:20 307 CHA
HISTORY HC 107H CRN 13118 4 Credits This course will offer a synthesis of social, political, and economic relationships within, as well as between, the cultures that influenced the development of Western Civilization. We will first examine the ancient, non-Western sources: the peoples an d cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt, as well as ancient Israel and the sources for Judeo-Christian ethics. We will then explore classical Greece and Rome and their influence on the development of Medieval Europe. For comparative purposes we will also read and discuss sources from and about ancient India. Through an analysis of their art, philosophy, religions, and literature, this course will provide us with a better understanding of how these cultures perceived and represented themselves. We will discuss individual relationships, the formation of soci al communities, and the creation of belief and political systems. Our emphasis will be on the syncretic development in the ancient world; how and why some aspects of these cultures survived to create a continuity between the ancient and the Medieval world s while others seemed to disappear altogether. Required Reading: The Bible (any edition; the New English Bible is recommended) MWF 13:00-13:50 307 CHA
HC 107H CRN 4 Credits This course will be an examination of various cultures of the ancient world. Our theme will be "self and society": we will concentrate on cultural representations of what individuals should be and do as well as what values and priorities communities sh ould pursue. Our approach will be comparative, not only between different cultures but also between competing visions of self and society within cultures themselves. We will look at Sumerian civilization, the Hebrews, the Heroic Age in Greece, the spirit of Hinduism in India, democratic Athens in the Age of the Polis, Confucianism and Taoism in China, the Roman Empire, the crisis in Judaism and the birth of Christianity, and the birth of Islam. Readings will be selections from the Bible, the Qur'an, the Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Aeneid, Plato's Apology, Crito, and Republic, The Bhagavad Gita, the Tao Te Ching, and Confucius's Analects. Assignments will include a journal, two 5-page papers, and a final exam. Most class time will be devoted to discussion. TWO SECTIONS, AS YET UNSCHEDULED
HC 107H CRNs 4 Credits This course provides an exploration of the origins of Western civilization from the earliest human societies in the Near East to the culture of Europe in the early middle ages. We will examine the rise of civilizations and their differing characteristi cs, the roots of the Western tradition, the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, the development and spread of Christianity, and the growth of medieval civilization from the fall of Rome to the year A.D. 1000. Topics to be covered will include Greek socie ty and philosophical ideas; Hebrew and Roman culture and their effects on the development of Christian doctrine and theology; the world of Barbarian Europe; the Carolingian Renaissance; and feudalism. The course will emphasize the development of critical and historical modes of thinking, writing skills, and the close reading of primary texts. Assignments will include two methodological papers, a midterm exam, and a final exam. Class format will center around formal lectures and the discussion of individua l texts, including The Epic of Gilgamesh, the writings of Plato, selections from the Hebrew and Christian Bible, and the Confessions of St. Augustine. TWO SECTIONS, AS YET UNSCHEDULED
PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING COURSE WAS OFFERED AS HC 209H DURING THE SPRING TERM OF 1999. BECAUSE OF SCHEDULING COMPLICATIONS, THE SAME COURSE IS BEING OFFERED AS HC 207H FALL TERM 1999. IF YOU TOOK HC 209H SPRING TERM 1999, YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS VERSION OF HC 207H SINCE IT COVERS THE SAME SUBJECT MATTER. SCIENCE HC 207H CRN 13122 4 Credits Most of us live in a common-sense reality You know your bed is still in your apartment even though you can't see it, you know you are alive and rocks are not, and you know what time is. But science says that common sense is an illusion, that reality is far more mysterious than it seems. In this course, taught by Dennis Todd, biologist, and Robert L. Zimmerman, physicist, we will concentrate on our fundamental assumptions about time, reality, and life. We will ask: What is life? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? Will extraterres trial life be like us? What is real? Does your bed really exist? What is time? Quantum physics, relativity and molecular biology will give us answers that are profoundly different from the everyday beliefs that most of us hold. We will probe the limits of science's ability to investigate questions that appear to border on science fiction. We will discuss the implications, both scientific and social, of these cutting edge technologies and theories and the questions they raise: Is there a limit to cloning? What are the promises and pitfalls of genetic engineering? What is the difference between living and non-living things? Do we create our own realities through our observations and beliefs? Can quantum mechanics lead to ultima te computers? Can Einstein's theory be used to make machines that allow time travel? This three-term course is designed for non-science majors. No background in physics, chemistry, biology, or mathematics is required. The terms need not be taken in sequence. Students will write two papers and give one oral presentation. Open book exams . There will be two hour-and-a-half lectures and one lab period per week. UH 9:30-10:50 303 CHA
UPPER DIVISION HONORS COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE FULFILLED THROUGH HC COURSES. PERMISSION TO TAKE NON-HC CLASSES TO FULFILL THESE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE OBTAINED IN ADVANCE, IN WRITING, FROM YOUR HC ADVISOR, AND ONLY IN VERY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
ARTS AND LETTERS
HC 311H CRN 16369 4 Credits In this course we will focus on music of the baroque era in Europe and Latin America within its broader cultural context. We will study political and economic history, art and architecture history through critical reading and discussion of several rece nt articles and various book chapters in order to come to an understanding of the Baroque as a concept. In class we will discover stylistic characteristics of baroque art and music, discussing slides and listening to musical examples. Attendance and active participation are required, as well as thorough preparation of the readings for discussion in class. Each student will give a short class presentation, write a short mid-term paper and a longer final essay. The final exam will be oral. MUSIC MAJORS WHO TAKE THIS COURSE CAN PETITION TO BE RELEASED FROM THE SECOND SEGMENT (BAROQUE & CLASSICAL) OF THE UNDERGRADUATE MUSIC HISTORY SURVEY (MUS 268) UH 12:30-13:50 303 CHA
SPECIAL STUDIES
HC 399H CRN 13125 4 Credits The Honors College hosts the nationally ranked University of Oregon Forensics Program. The program is designed to teach rhetorical habits of mind and speech through intercollegiate debate and individual events. The program travels to about 13 tournamen ts, hosts two on-campus tournaments, and engages in some on-campus speaking activities. Debate students will be paired with partners and will be expected to conduct extensive research on the debate topics selected by the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA). Two de-bate topics are debated each academic year. Novice and experienced student debaters are welcome. Individual events students select from among ten to fifteen public speaking and oral interpretation events. Individual events students work to pre-pare and perfect speeches designed to per-suade, entertain and move. Individual events speakers are expec ted to debate as well. Students are graded on their performances. MW 16:00-17:20 244 GIL
SEMINARS
HC 407H CRNs below 2 Credits Senior Thesis Seminar should be taken at least two terms before the term of graduation and can be taken in the junior year if one has a clear idea for one's thesis. Class will consist of an initial overview of the thesis process with attention to the w riting of the prospectus. Most of the class will be devoted to oral presentations of each student's prospectus. Those students who are already well into their research will be encouraged to present a completed thesis chapter or section of a chapter. Prese ntations will be made to the full class and to the student's departmental thesis director; presentations will also include a question and answer session. Students will sign up for presentation times during the first seminar meeting. Attendance is mandator y. Pass/No Pass only Students must complete an Application for Enrollment form in the HC Office in order to be pre-authorized to register through Duck Call. The form must be signed by either your departmental thesis advisor or HC advisor. CRN 13129: M 14:00-15:50 303 CHA CRN 13130 W 13:00-14:50 303 CHA
THE FOLLOWING NON-HC COURSE WILL SATISFY PART OF THE ARTS AND LETTERS REQUIREMENT FOR HC STUDENTS. IT IS OPEN ONLY TO STUDENTS WITH JUNIOR STANDING OR ABOVE. THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT GIVES US 7 PLACES IN THE CLASS. IF YOU WISH TO RESERVE ONE OF THOSE SPA CES, COME TO THE HC OFFICE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN ENGLISH MAJOR. ENG 407 (Honors Seminar) CRN 15947 This course will survey important modern plays, playwrights, and dramatic movements, from Ibsen to the present. Social contexts will be important to any aesthetic considerations. The format will be discussion over lecture whenever possible. No exams wi ll be given. Everyone will write a number of short critical analyses, regularly, as we go (not at the end of the term). We will read about 15 plays. Regular attendance, class discussion, keeping up with the reading, and doing the writing on time will matt er for success. Literature and non-literature majors alike are welcome. Drama majors will be right at home. UG Req=1789+ UH 12:30-13:50 248 PLC
COLLOQUIA NOTE: THE FOLLOWING CLASS (HC 408) WAS ADDED AFTER THE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES WAS PRINTED. HC 412 HAS BEEN CANCELLED. HC 408H CRN 16518 4 Credits We will be reading some of the most famous and popular 19th-century French authors in translation. During this class we will be discussing the ideals of the French Revolution as they were dispersed and transfigured (even diluted) by the popular novels of the day. We will also study how serialization in the newspapers affected the shape and pacing of the novel, and the effects of various revolutions and "emeutes" as these became incorporated into various plots. We will also especially pay attention to t he portraits of women as they emerge-and then are countered-by the more realistic writers such as Flaubert. Works in translation for the term will include: George Sand, Indiana; Dumas (père), Les Trois Mousquetaires, Parts One and Two (The Three Musketeers); Dumas (fils), La Dame Aux Camillias (The Lady of the Camillias); Hugo Notre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), and Nerval, Sylvie. The term will require two medium-sized critical papers (5-7 pages with outside criticism and research; one oral report (10-12 minutes), and a final (take-home). Class will be run as a seminar with some lecture, but mostly questions, answers, and discus sion. UH 11:00-12:20 303 CHA
HC 408H CRN 16370 4 Credits We will discuss Austen's six major novels. Some brief student reports. A recurring theme will be Austen's radical contributions to the development of the novel. No exams. Course grade based on six papers of 1000-1500 words each and your daily contribut ion to class discussion. Special attention given to effective, clear writing. UH 15:30-16:50 307 CHA
THE FOLLOWING COURSE WILL FULFILL PART OF THE UO MULTICULTURAL HC 415 CRN 16521 4 Credits For some black writers in the Americas, the idea of "returning to the source," of literally or symbolically travelling back to Africa, has offered an interesting way of exploring broad issues of trans-Atlantic slavery, individual as well as group ident ity, and history. This class will focus on fiction, drama, and autobiography by writers of African descent who have used the motif of travel to explore broader concerns. We will be concerned with the philosophical issues raised in these texts, as well as the technical competence demonstrated in them. Our primary reading will include the following: Maryse Conde, Heremakhonon; Charles Johnson, Middle Passage; George Lamming, The Pleasures of Exile; Paule Marshall, Praisesong for the Widow; Reginald McKnight , I Get On The Bus; and Derek Walcott, Dream on Monkey Mountain. UH 14:00-15:20 303 CHA
*OPEN-ENDED COURSES* *Note procedure for open-ended courses and telephone registration. All courses listed in this section may be taken only by making special arrangements with an HC faculty member prior to registering through Duck Call. First get a form from the HC office. Then fill in the necessary information after consulting with your instructor on the number of credits, grading option, and title of course to show on transcript. The form must be signed by the instructor. Submit this form to Matt or Carol in the HC office and we will enter your name and Social Security number in Banner, and you will then be able to register for the course through Duck Call. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO DO THIS. Also remember that this is a 3-step process: instructor permission, pre-authorization by HC of fice, phone registration by student.
HC 405H CRN 13127 (Variable Credits) HC 406H CRN 13128 (Variable Credits) HC 409H CRN 13134 (Variable Credits)
WINTER AND SPRING 2000 PREVIEW INCOMPLETE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FINAL WINTER AND SPRING TERM COURSE OFFERINGS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE FALL.
WINTER TERM 2000 LITERATURE HISTORY SCIENCE HC 212H HC Intro to Experimental Psych ARTS AND LETTERS HC 312H Age of Satire SPECIAL PROBLEMS HC 399H Debate Tournament Judging
SEMINARS
COLLOQUIA HC 408H Beyond Vengeance & Forgiveness: Responses to the Holocaust HC 408H Visions of Freedom II HC 412H Literature by and about Gay Men
SPRING TERM 2000 LITERATURE HC 103H HC Literature Six sections. Instructors and times TBA HISTORY SCIENCE HC 211H HC Intro to Experimental Psych SOCIAL SCIENCE ARTS AND LETTERS COLLOQUIA HC 415H The Mesoamerican Past: Myth, History, and Religion in Nahua Civilization |
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