Course Description

Welcome to Modern Western Civilization. In the next fifteen weeks we are going to cover nearly 400 years of humankind’s story, years which saw an unprecedented expansion in both breadth and pace of activity. Naturally, this implies that much material will receive only slight attention, and an even more atrocious amount of information will be ignored completely. With that minimal apology out of the way, I still hope that students will find the class challenging, informative, even occasionally entertaining. We will be looking at the procession of events, grand and minuscule, personal and impersonal, which have wrought the world that we currently enjoy. With our focus somewhat determined by the course title, we will concentrate on European affairs, but as that particular community expanded globally, so also will the lecture material. To that extent, you are at the mercy of the instructor’s editorial whims.

On the other hand, feel free to ask questions and to challenge the material presented. The goal of this class is not just to inform students of the course of Western history, but also to demonstrate the myriad ways in which that narrative has been understood. With so many debates still ongoing, another course goal is for students to present their own their thoughts. Hopefully, this will take place in class, but at the least, it should occur on the exams.

Let me re-emphasize the sentiment above: you will have to grapple with the information presented in this class, not merely memorize it. I will be asking you many questions throughout the semester; be ready to answer them. Oftentimes, there is not a decisively correct answer, and I will simply be seeking to learn which conclusions you have reached. Obviously, then, your participation in class matters and will depend in no small way on preparing for our lectures/conversations.

Course Goals

The goals (or should I say fruits?) of a history course are as numerous as the books which historians produce. Some have already been hinted at above. At the broadest level, though, historical study encourages and hones critical analysis of the questions which most concern us. And these issues are themselves countless, but in the most generic terms, they mostly center on the relations of people with one another, with themselves, and possibly with the supernatural. We will be asking “why?” rather a lot: Why did they think that? Why did they assume such a thing? Why does the past appear simultaneously alien and similar? Even as we ask these questions, others lie implicitly underneath: why do I think what I think? What are my prejudices and assumptions? How does my heritage sway my conclusions?

We will be asking the above questions all under the aegis of the course goals outlined by Longwood University's catalog:

Note the importance of Goal 7: the writing component. History is a discipline of writing as much as reading. The papers and exam essays will be your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to express your conclusions about historical events and historical scholarship. Don’t blow this off and do slipshod work.

Grading & Assignments

For the academic year 2011–12 and onward, Longwood has adopted a system wherein a letter grade with a + or a - is weighted in the computations of the student’s GPA. Look to my “General Policies” for how I will be assigning such grades from the numerical basis that I use in the course.

Exams: There will be three exams, whose form will be discussed in detail as they approach. Students may rest(?) assured, however, that the essay component will comprise half the grade. The exams are weighted so as to give students the benefit of experience. Thus, the first is worth 15%, the next one 20%, and the final exam 25% of the course grade. While no test is cumulative, each is built on the assumption that you actually remember material from previous exams. Failure to take the final will result in failing the course.

Quizzes: At three fixed dates—and four surprise ones—in the semester, I will give a small quiz (of the multiple choice and true/false variety) designed to make certain that you have not become a zombie. The lowest of those seven grades will be jettisoned in the final computation of grades so that the remaining six will be worth 15% of the final grade.

Papers: There will be one book review, no longer than three pages in length. It will be worth 20% of the course grade. For full details on the nature of this assignment, and the canon of available choices, see the on-line guidelines here.  If your interests lie more in the earlier or later parts of the course's subject matter, look to either the  1st half list or the 2nd half list for books approved for review.

Note: There will be a low threshold of tolerance for grammatical errors and all other transgressions which a simple proofreading should catch. Remove these yourself so I won’t have to remove hard-earned points. Remember, the spell- checker is not your friend! For further guidance, consult the menu options under Leges Stephani and the writing guides. Also, beware the Homonym Death List. As of the Spring 2007 courses, students who demonstrate a clear disregard for good advice and the basic requirements of the assignment will have their work returned to be redone, minus a letter-grade.

In-Class Work:  I have a number of activities and assignments scattered throughout the course (in no small part so you don’t have to listen to me drone on forever).  They will account for 5% of the course grade, so don’t treat them lightly.  In a sense, this works partially as a participation grade.

And the Rest...Be certain to read my “General Policies” page as well for further information on how your performance in the course will be assessed.

Lecture & Reading Schedule

The sources which you will read for this class each correspond to one of the sections below, and to that section’s concluding exam. I urge you to read them at the times indicated below for the maximum benefit of explanatory material. In addition, the reading assignments from the F&S text ought to be done before you come to class. The information provided by that text will do much to color in the background of the points I will be stressing in lecture.

Academic Honesty

It is unfortunate, but every year some students attempt to submit work which is not their own. This act is, of course, the crime of plagiarism. Do not test your luck in this arena. The eventual odds are against you, and the penalties are unpleasant. Any student who submits plagiarized work will automatically fail the entire course. Previous students have found that I do not negotiate this point. If you're not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty, consult the student handbook, ask your instructors, or see my links to the problem.

Required Textbooks

We have four textbooks for this course. They are all required, and yes, I actually expect students to read them.

• Frankfurter & Spellman, The West: A Narrative History, Vol. II (1400 to the Present) 2/e
• Voltaire, Candide
• Zola, The Ladies' Delight
• Eksteins, The Rites of Spring

Web Resources

At this time, your professor finds little reason to send you off surfing around the World Wide Distraction...

Contacting Dr. Isaac