Instructor: James R. Munson
Office: Ruffner 226
Office telephone: 395-2218 
Office hours:  MWF 3-4 
                       TTH 10-11
                       and by appointment.                            
E-mail: munsonjr@longwood.edu

Contents

Course Description
Required Texts
Course Objectives
Class Schedule
Course Requirements
Grading
Attendance Policy                                                                                                         
Honor Code and Plagiarism                                                                                               
Bibliography                                                                                                                    

Image of Rousseau courtesy of lucidcafe

Course Description:  A survey of the major trends of European thought after the Enlightenment, and the relationship of these trends to their social, cultural, and political context.

   Return to Table of Contents

Texts:

Stromberg, Roland N., European Intellectual History Since 1789.  Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:  Prentice-Hall, Sixth Edition, 1994.

Knoebel, Edgar E., ed., Classics of Western Thought, Volume Three:  The Modern World.  New York:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Fourth Edition, 1988.

Curtis, Michael, ed., The Great Political Theories, Volume Two.  New York:  Avon, New Edition, 1981.

  Return to Table of Contents

Course Objectives:

The goal of this course is for students to develop the following:

1.  A deeper understanding and appreciation of historical enquiry.

2.  A sense of the leading ideas and major intellectual traditions of the modern West.

3.  An ability to think critically, analytically and systematically about key issues of intellectual history.

4.  An ability to organize different types of source materials, relate them to each other by means of critical analysis, and use them in a way that produces greater insight into the complex subject matter of the course.

5.  A sense of the variety of disciplines and approaches that contribute to the history of ideas and intellectual trends.

6.  An appreciation for the contribution that an historical perspective can bring to other disciplines.

7.  A greater ability to express oneself clearly and concisely on paper and orally.

8.  A greater understanding of the human experience by examining the intellectual dilemmas and moral challenges faced by men and women of the past.

  Return to Table of Contents

Class Schedule:

Week 1 (Aug. 27-31)

Introduction: Course Information and Requirements.
What is Intellectual History?

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 1-18.
Knoebel, pp. 154-165.
Kant (handout).

Reminder:  The add/drop deadline is Sept. 4.

Week 2 (Sept. 4-7)

Labor Day Holiday:  Sept. 3

The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment and the French Revolution

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 18-43.
Knoebel, 178-201, 131-140.

Romanticism
Hegel and German Philosophy

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 44-49, 77-84.
Knoebel, pp. 140-153, 338-349.

Paper topic statements due by Wednesday.

The Rise of Ideologies:  Economic Liberalism and English Utilitarianism
Review

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 49-76, 124-129.
Knoebel, pp. 166-177.
Curtis, pp. 117-120, 125-129.

Liberalism in the Golden Age

Take-Home Exam due Friday, Sept. 28, by 5 p.m.

Readings:  Knoebel, 323-337, 280-298.

Conservatism
The Early Socialists

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 103-109.
Curtis, pp. 48-75, 130-154.

Critiques of paper topic statements due by Wednesday.

The Rise of Positivism.
The Darwinian Revolution

Friday:  Oral Reports

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 84-88, 109-124, 129-143.
Knoebel, pp. 350-366.
Curtis, 254-267.

Reminder:  The final withdrawal deadline is October 17 (noon).

Oct. 15-16 (Fall Break).

Oral Reports (all week)

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 89-102, 159-175.
Knoebel, 367-389.

Week 9 (Oct. 22-26)

The "Science" of Society
Karl Marx
Review

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 143-158.
Curtis, pp. 172-180, 348-362.
Knoebel, pp. 405-420.

Marxism and Other Radical Traditions

Take-Home Exam due Friday, Nov. 2, by 5 p.m.

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 188-193, 203-205.
Knoebel, pp. 443-457, 560-576.
Freud handout.

Friedrich Nietzsche and the Discovery of the Irrational.
Sigmund Freud and the Discovery of the Unconscious

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 175-187, 205-213.
Curtis, pp. 234-253, 422-436.
Other readings to be announced.

Paper due: Friday, Nov. 9, by 5 p.m.

The Varieties of Nationalism
The Rise of Sociological Thought

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 213-248, 193-203.
Other readings to be announced.

Communism, Fascism and the Crisis of European Thought

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 249-255.
Knoebel, pp. 577-596.
Other readings to be announced.

Thanksgiving Break, Nov. 22-24.

Post-War Trends:  Existentialism, the New Left

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 255-275
Knoebel, pp. 616-634.
Other readings to be announced.

Week 15 (Dec. 3-7)

The Feminist Challenge
Review

Readings:  Stromberg, pp. 276-305, 337-340.
Knoebel, pp. 635-649.
Chapter 11 of Stromberg is optional, but strongly recommended.

  Return to Table of Contents

Course Requirements:  Two take-home mid-term exams, a final exam, and a research paper are the written requirements for this course.  In addition, each student will give a class presentation as part of the process of preparing the research paper (see below).  This presentation will be graded together with the research paper, which will receive an automatic zero if not accompanied by an oral presentation.  Failure to complete any of the written requirements will be regarded as a failure to complete the course, and will therefore result in an automatic grade of F.  Each student will prepare a statement of his or her paper topic, with projected bibliography.  This statement will not be graded, but failure to hand it in will result in a loss of seven points on the final grade.  Papers received in the week after the due date, 5 p.m. on April 8, will be marked down up to one full grade.  Absolutely no papers will be accepted after 5 p.m. on November 16.

Exams must be turned in by the deadline.  Extensions and make-ups will be arranged only by prior consent of the instructor, and only for the most compelling reasons (as determined by the instructor).  If a student, without gaining prior consent, is unable to take an exam due to sudden illness or some other extraordinary event, the instructor must be notified immediately.  If I cannot be reached directly or by phone, you must leave a message with the History Department (x2224).  A student's request for an extension or make-up must be accompanied by a doctor's note or other written documentation.

Exams:  The exams are all essay. The mid-terms will contain two essays, the final exam three, of which one will be comprehensive in nature (covering the entire course).  General issues that are likely to be the subject of essay questions will be covered in the review sessions indicated on your weekly schedule, but the exams may contain other material not discussed in these sessions.  The exams will be designed to test acquaintance both with the readings and points raised in class.  The instructor will be looking for evidence of general knowledge, an organized and analytical approach to that knowledge, and an ability to combine the raw materials of the course -- text, discussions, and documentary sources -- into pertinent and meaningful insights.  On take-home exams, I expect quotes from the primary sources, and specific references to the textbook.  The instructor will also be evaluating your ability to communicate your insights.  Points will be taken off for run-on sentences, grammatical errors, spelling errors, poor punctuation or any other problems that, in the opinion of the instructor, affect comprehension of the student's work.  Strive above all for clarity.  The two mid-terms must be prepared on a word processor, with margins, fonts and other physical characteristics conforming to the requirements for the research paper.  The final will be taken in class (bring a blue book), and will be two and a half hours long.

Research Paper:  The research paper is designed specifically to show that the student can research a topic and develop an analytical argument using source materials.  The emphasis should be as much as possible on using primary source materials from the period in question -- the writings of Marx or Darwin, not just writings about them, beginning with the two required sourcebooks.  All students should meet with the instructor about their paper topics, and do so as early as possible in the semester.  Each student will prepare a one-page written statement of his or her paper topic, complete with bibliography, by the beginning of week three.  These will then be distributed to other students in the class, each of whom will prepare a written critique due by the beginning of week five.  Neither of these assignments will be graded, but failure to complete either assignment will result in a deduction of seven points from the final grade.

As part of the research project, each student will give an oral presentation based on their term paper of fifteen minutes in length (approximately ten full pages of text, double-spaced) .  In the class period preceding the presentation, each presenter will give a written outline to the other students in the class as a basis for class discussion after the presentation.  Class time will be set aside in the middle of the semester for these presentations, with the specific time slots to be determined at random by the instructor.  Think of these presentations as a trial run for your paper in progress, and an opportunity to get critical feedback.  The oral presentation and the paper will be graded as one assignment.  I will be looking in particular for signs of improvement or refinement between the oral report and the final written product.

For guidance on preparing effective oral presentations, see:  http://www.etsu.edu/scitech/langskil/oral.htm

The final papers must be printed on a word processor, with double-spaced text, a title page, and one-inch (and no more than one-inch) margins.  The text (not including bibliography, title page and endnotes page) should be no less than 10 full pages and no more than 12 pages in length.  Your name, the course name and number, and the date must be on the title page.  It must include a bibliography of all sources cited.  You may use either endnotes or footnotes, but if you use the latter, the paper must be sufficiently over the 10 page limit to compensate for the formatting of the notes at the foot of the page.  Bibliography and footnote or endnote citations must conform to the proper style for the liberal arts, as defined in the "Department of History and Political Science Style Sheet", available on the department's web site at  http://www.longwood.edu/history/HDPTSTS2.htm.  More in-depth coverage of style questions can be found in the latest edition of  Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations. Do not use MLA, APA or any alternative style current in other disciplines.  Unless you wish to see the instructor fly into a blind rage, do not even think of using parenthetical notes.

The type of material that must be documented (i.e. footnoted) includes:  controversial or distinctive arguments and opinions, facts that are not a matter of broad general knowledge, statistics, all quotes, and paraphrases or summaries of an author's argument.  All direct quotes over two lines in length must be indented and single-spaced as described in Turabian.  You should have at least one footnote per full page of text.

It is imperative that you document source material, but the argument or thesis of your paper must be in your own words:  excessive use of quotes or lengthy paraphrasing of sources will not be accepted, and leads easily to the grievous sin of plagiarism.  All students must submit their final paper as a Word file to www.turnitin.com before turning it in to me.  On plagiarism, see below.

Sources:  The citation of at least five different sources is a minimal requirement for the paper.  In addition to the assigned texts, which you are required to cite, you must utilize at least three other sources from the library.  These sources should be scholarly works of article or book length, and/or additional primary sources.  Informational materials on the internet are notoriously unreliable, especially in history, since there is often no monitoring of the content for accuracy.  When in doubt, contact me about any web sites you are using, and avoid those not affiliated with an institution of higher education (.edu sites) or a scholarly organization devoted to the  subject in question (which are sometimes .org sites). Even those can be misleading, inaccurate or out-of-date. You may use encyclopedias and other reference works as a place to start, but only to get up to speed on a topic or as background information on the documents you are using.  These should not be listed in the bibliography, cited in the second document analysis, or considered a replacement for a more substantial outside source.  Never cite a textbook (including our own), dictionary, encyclopedia or their on-line equivalents (including Wikipedia) in the final paper.  Some useful web sites containing primary sources are:

The Internet Modern History Sourcebook -- http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.html
(the best and easiest to use -- it contains both excerpts and full-text on-line editions of important sources)
The Hanover Historical Texts Project -- http://history.hanover.edu/project.html
The Avalon Project --  http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/avalon.htm
The Historical Text Archive --  http://historicaltextarchive.com/ (useful mainly for links)
The Michigan Electronic Library -- http://web.mel.org/mer/SPT--BrowseResources.php?ParentId=357  (also a collection of links, organized by category)
The Voice of the Shuttle --  http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=2713#id877 (be sure to browse the special topics as well)
E-Server --  http://eserver.org/history/ (for selected topics)
EuroDocs --  Main Page - EuroDocs  (use both time period and national history links)
The McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought -- http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/  (this archive defines "economic thought" broadly, including most major thinkers [even poets], so take a look no matter what your subject)
The Marxists Internet Archive -- http://www.marxists.org or http://www.marx.org -- Yes, Virginia, there are still Marxists, and this bunch have put together a very good web resource that ranges far beyond the confines of Marxist thought itself.  No matter what your topic is, check this web site out first.  If you're doing any topic that is even vaguely related to left-wing politics, this is the best tool currently on the web.

Class participation:  Since this is a discussion class, class participation on the part of all students is vital.  Students must arrive prepared to discuss the reading assignments.  In order to ensure this, I will choose up to three students at random at the beginning of each class to be discussion leaders.  Those students will be graded for their contributions to the discussion that day.  Any who have not read the material or who are absent without prior clearance from me will receive a failing grade for that day's discussion.  I will arrange it so that everyone gets a more or less equal chance to be "on call".  Voluntary contributions from students not designated by this system will of course be viewed positively, especially when they demonstrate acquaintance and engagement with the reading.  Discussions may also take the form of formal debates on key subjects during the semester.  Your overall grade for class participation will not be figured numerically into your final score, but will weigh heavily nonetheless.  It will be used to decide borderline cases, offset negative trends like absences, or, if judged to be above your performance on written work, bump you to a higher grade.  A "B" student who performs at a "B" level in class will still get a "B", or, at most, a "B+", depending on other factors.  But a "B" or "B+" student making "A" contributions in class significantly increases his or her chances of an "A-", depending on other circumstances.  A student whose contributions in class are few or show shallow acquaintance with the readings can expect negative consequences, even with all "A's" on the written assignments.  More than most classes, a discussion oriented class can succeed only when the students themselves make a consistent effort.  I reserve the right if necessary to assign oral reports to facilitate discussion, and to use these reports in the determination of final grades.

   Return to Table of Contents

Grading:  The mid-terms, the final, and the paper are worth 100 points each.  Your final grade will be determined by the total number of points you gain out of a maximum of 400, as modified by your class participation grade (see above).  I do not grade on a curve.  Attendance, in addition to evidence of progress or lack thereof in the course of the semester, will be factors in deciding half grades and borderline cases (which, experience shows, means most students).  Serious attendance problems or misconduct in class can result in a lowering of grade.  The grading scale is as follows:
 
 

Extra Credit Assignments:  Extra credit assignments may be arranged with the instructor.  These assignments must be approved in advance by the instructor on or before October 17, and will not be accepted unless so approved.  They are worth a maximum of 40 points.  Under no circumstances will an extra credit assignment be accepted as substitute for any other written requirement in the course.  An extra credit assignment can only elevate a student into a higher grade bracket (for example, from a B to an A) if the student has scored the higher grade on at least one of the three major exams or on the presentation/paper.  The assignment must take the form either of an analytical book review (not a book summary) 5-7 pages in length, or a second documented paper 7-10 pages in length, and must be on a topic substantially different from the required research paper.  It must also utilize sources not assigned in this course.  Style of text, footnotes, bibliography and title page must conform to the guidelines of the departmental style sheet.  If you decide to do an extra credit assignment, it must be turned in no later than November 16 for you to receive credit.

   Return to Table of Contents

Attendance Policy:  Class attendance is a requirement of this course.  Repeated unexcused absences will lead to a reduction of grade.  Unexcused absences totaling 25% or more of the class meetings will result in an automatic F for the course.  The instructor will excuse a student only under the most extraordinary circumstances.  Chronic lateness will also be penalized, since it presents a class disturbance.  If a student arrives after roll is taken, it is the student's responsibility to place his or her name on the class roll no later than the end of that class period.  Failure to do so will result in an unexcused absence, even if the student later produces class notes or other evidence that he or she was present for all or part of the class period.

   Return to Table of Contents

Honor Code and Plagiarism:  Students are expected to observe the honor code, and pledge all work for this course.  Students found to have cheated on an exam or to have plagiarized material in a paper will be subject to the maximum penalty under college rules.  For those in doubt about the definition of plagiarism, it consists of copying passages from a source without both attribution and quotation.  If you have reproduced the language of your source, you have committed plagiarism whether or not you have cited the source and the page number.  This includes passages that a student may have modified:  for example, changed verb tenses, omission or replacement of occasional words, reshuffling of phrases, sentences or paragraphs, combining of different plagiarized sources.  Writing a bad paper in your own words is far better than writing a good one using the words of someone else.  One suggestion for avoiding inadvertent echoing of your texts and sources:  close all books when writing, and consult them only for specific facts or direct quotes.  Also proofread your paper with plagiarism specifically in mind.

Taperecording and Class Decorum:  Taperecording of lectures is not permitted.  Students who are excused from class by the instructor must make arrangements with the instructor or with other students to cover the material missed.  Students who skip class without permission are responsible for making their own arrangements with other students (not with the instructor) for the material covered in class.

Students are expected to observe class decorum.  Anyone engaging in behavior bothersome to other students or to the instructor (for example, eating or drinking, talking in class or the use of personal stereos) will be asked to leave and marked as absent.  By order of the department chair, food and drinks are not permitted in the classroom.

   Return to Table of Contents

Bibliography:

References required of all students:

Stromberg, Roland N., European Intellectual History Since 1789.  Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:  Prentice-Hall, Sixth Edition, 1994.

Knoebel, Edgar E., ed., Classics of Western Thought, Volume Three:  The Modern World.  New York:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Fourth Edition, 1988.

Curtis, Michael, ed., The Great Political Theories, Volume Two.  New York:  Avon, New Edition, 1981.

Other references:

Consult the bibliographies in the required texts, the library catalogue and the instructor for the outside references to be used in your research paper.

Return to Table of Contents

Return to the Department Syllabus Page (Fall 2007)

Return to the Department of History and Political Science Homepage