Writing 109HU: Writing for the Humanities, Winter 2002

Writing 109HU—Writing for the Humanities:
The European Enlightenment
Descartes Image

Descartes

Instructor: James H. Donelan
Monday, Wednesday 9:30-10:45
GIRV 1119
Enroll Code: 44479
Email: donelan@writing.ucsb.edu
1310 Girvetz Hall
Office Hours: Monday, 11:00-12:00 and Wednesday 1-2, or by appointment

Texts:
Descartes, Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy
Damrosch, et. al. The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Vol. 1C
ConnectWeb, a computer program availaible through e-commerce.
http://connectweb.com/ucsb.asp

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 short on-line assignments, a brief essay on philosophy (5-6 pages), an annotated bibliography, and one longer essay (8-10 pages). All written assignments after the first week are due on-line through ConnectWeb. Students will also give an oral presentation on a topic related to the longer essay. In addition, please observe the following rules:

Do not alter the font size or line spacing in order to change the length of the paper.
Papers should be no longer or shorter than the length assigned and submitted on time.
Use a standard font size (12 point) and typeface, such as Times Roman.
On-line assignments are due by class time on the day assigned, unless otherwise indicated. Late assignments will result in grade reductions.
Never submit an assigment or a major project without proofreading it carefully.
Your classmates and your instructor depend on your presence in class and your full participation. Participation in class discussion and electronic exchanges therefore count for a substantial part of your grade.
University regulations regarding plagiarism will be strictly enforced.

I: Philosophy: Enlightenment Epistemology

1/7
Handout: Kant, "What is Enlightenment?"
In-class exercise: Writing sample.

1/9
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Reading: Descartes, "Discourse on Method"; Sherman and Zwicker, "The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century," 1979
Homework: One-page summary of argument. Bring a copy of the assignment on a floppy disk if possible.
In-class assignment: Summary critique and analysis.

1/14
Reading: Descartes, "Meditations on First Philosophy"
Homework: One-page comparison of Kant and Descartes.
In-class: Types of argument.

1/16
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Reading: Locke, from An Essay Concerning Human Understanding , 2631.
Homework: Philosophy essay prospectus and outline.
In-class: Prospectus and outline critique.

1/21 Martin Luther King Day—No Class.

1/23
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Reading: Hume, from An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, 2647.
Homework: Philosophy essay draft.
In-class: Partner draft evaluation.

II: Literature: Satire, Poetry, and Criticism
1/28
Reading: Swift, "A Voyage to the … Houyhnhnms," Gulliver’s Travels 2402.
Homework: Philosophy Essay Due.
In-class: Why write criticism?

1/30
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Reading: Swift, continued.
Homework: One-page critical argument on Swift .
In-class: Examination of evidence .

2/4
Reading: Pope, "Essay on Criticism," 2461; Lady Montagu, "The Lover: A Ballad" 2567.
Homework: Short Critical Analysis.
In-class: Defining poetry.

2/6
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Reading: Goldsmith, "The Deserted Village," 2844; Gray, "Elegy...," 2685.
Homework:Prospectus of main project: Draft
In-class: Defining research strategies.

2/11
Homework: Prospectus: Final Version
In-class: Research Strategies

III: Opera as Music and Drama: Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro

2/12
Opera Night: 7:00PM, Kerr Hall, Studio B.

2/13
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Readings: Mozart/da Ponte, The Marriage of Figaro (libretto) .
Homework: How can you write about music?
In-class: Music criticism, musicology, musical analysis.

2/18
Readings. Mozart/da Ponte, The Marriage of Figaro (opera) .
Homework: Working bibliography .
In-class: Managing sources.

2/20
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Readings: Mozart, continued.
Homework: Annotated Bibliography Due

IV: History

2/25
Reading: "The Royal Academy and the New Science," 2039; Boswell, from London Journal, 2796.
Homework: The problem of interpretation.
In-class: Historical argument.

2/27
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Readings: Hughes, "A Horse Foaled by an Acorn" (xerox); "Perspectives: Reading Papers" 2311.
Homework: Historical evidence.
In-class: "What really happened?"

3/1
Trip to the Getty Museum, Part I

3/2
Trip to the Getty Museum, Part II

V: Art History: Eighteenth Century Painting

3/4
Readings: Hogarth, A Rake’s Progress, 2616 .
Homework: Progress report.

3/6
Class meets in the computer lab today.
Readings: Burke "…the Sublime and the Beautiful," 2875.
Homework: What is beauty?
In-class: Editing techniques; art criticism.

3/11
In-class: Putting it all together—final workshop.
Homework: Full rough draft due.

3/13
Oral presentations. Final Class.

3/15
Final project due.