Writing 109HU—Writing for the Humanities:

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:

I: Philosophy: Enlightenment Epistemology

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.