The European Enlightenment
Instructor: James H. Donelan
Tuesday, Thursday 2:00-3:15
HSSB 1232
Enroll Code: 45591
Email: donelan@humanitas.ucsb.edu
1310 Girvetz Hall
Office Hours: Tuesday 10:00-10:50, Wednesday 12:00-12:50 or by appointment.
Texts:
Descartes, Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy
Damrosch, et. al. The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Vol.
1C
DiYanni, Writing About the Humanities
Course Description: The course will allow students to refine their skills in scholarship and writing in several humanistic disciplines. Students will address the issues of evidence, interpretation, and critique within each individual discourse and as part of a general understanding of the humanities.
Requirements: The course requires regular attendance, active participation in class discussion and activities, and timely completion of all assignments, including one-page essays, a short essay on philosophy (5-6 pages), an annotated bibliography, and one longer essay (8-10 pages). Students will also give an oral presentation on a topic related to the longer essay. In addition, please observe the following rules:
9/26
Handout: Kant, "What is Enlightenment?"
In-class exercise: Writing sample
9/28
Reading: Descartes, "Discourse on Method"; Sherman and Zwicker,
"The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century" 1979
Homework: One-page summary of argument
In-class assignment: Summary critique and analysis
10/3
Reading: Diyanni, Chapter 1; Descartes, "Meditations on First
Philosophy"
Homework: Revised Summaries.
In-class: Types of argument
10/5
Reading: Diyanni, Chapter 2; Locke, from An Essay…Human
Understanding, 2631.
Homework: Philosophy essay prospectus and outline
In-class: Prospectus and outline critique
10/10
Reading: Hume, from An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
2647
Homework: Philosophy essay draft.
In-class: Partner draft evaluation
II: Literature: Satire, Poetry, and Criticism
10/12
Reading: Diyanni, Chapter 6; Swift, "A Voyage…," Gulliver’s
Travels 2402
Homework: Philosophy Essay Due
Stuart
Glennan's Philosophy Essay Guidelines
In-class: Why write criticism?
10/17
Reading: Swift, continued.
Homework: One-page critical argument on Swift
In-class: Examination of evidence
10/19
Reading: Pope, "Essay on Criticism" 2461; Lady Montagu, "The
Lover: A Ballad" 2567
Homework: Defense of poetry
In-class: Defining poetry
10/24
Reading: Goldsmith, "The Deserted Village" 2844; Gray, "Elegy…"
2685
Homework: Prospectus of main project Here's
some help for choosing a topic.
In-class: Defining research strategies
10/24
Library visit. Bring a notebook and pen!
III: Opera as Music and Drama: Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro
10/25
Opera Night: 7:00PM TBA
10/26
Readings: Diyanni, Chapter 5; Figaro
Homework: How can you write about music?
In-class: Music criticism, musicology, musical analysis
10/31
Readings: Diyanni, Chapter 7; Figaro
Homework: Working bibliography
In-class: Managing sources
11/2
Readings: Figaro, continued.
Homework: Annotated Bibliography Due
IV: History
11/7
Reading: "The Royal Academy and the New Science" 2039; Boswell,
from London Journal, 2796
Homework: The problem of interpretation
In-class: Historical argument
11/9
Readings: Hughes, "A Horse Foaled by an Acorn" (xerox); "Perspectives:
Reading Papers" 2311
Homework: Historical evidence
In-class: "What really happened?"
V: Art History: Eighteenth Century Painting
11/14
Readings: Diyanni, Chapter 8; Hogarth, A Rake’s Progress,
2616
Homework: Progress report
11/16
Readings: Burke "…the Sublime and the Beautiful" 2875
Homework: What is beauty?
In-class: Editing techniques; art criticism
11/21
Readings: Diyanni, Chapter 8, review.
In-class: Putting it all together—final workshop.
11/23
Happy Thanksgiving!
11/28
Homework: Full rough draft due
In-class: Final conferences.
11/30
Oral presentations.
12/5
Final Class. Final project due.