University Seminars Spring 2006

PLS 13186 - 05: Pagan and Christian Antiquity
Taught by: Jeffrey Schneibel, C.S.C.
This seminar is designed to develop habits of careful reading, discussion, and writing through the reading of classic texts. These seminars serve as an introduction to the "Great Books" style of education fostered by the Program of Liberal Studies. This section will focus on texts from the period of ancient Greek philosophy through the turn to Christianity (including Plato's Republic, Lucretius, Vergil, Epictetus, Augustine's Confessions). One major theme-and conflict-explored in these readings is the attempt to define the human person and discovery the destiny of the 'soul'. This seminar counts as the second (spring term) seminar in the required sequence for students who go on to major in PLS.

PLS 13186 - 06: Classical Greece: Texts and Themes
Taught by: Julia Marvin
In this seminar, students will read, analyze, discuss, and write about a range of the great works of ancient Greece, including Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, Thucydides' history of the terrible war between Athens and Sparta, and the philosophical dialogues of Plato. In addition to offering the opportunity to consider together some of the foundational texts of Western culture, the class will also serve as an introduction to the "Great Books" approach offered by the Program of Liberal Studies, in which students develop and test their own interpretations of classic texts through thoughtful reading and discussion in which they are expected to take a leading role. This seminar counts as the first in the required seminar sequence for students who go on to major in PLS, and it fulfils the University literature requirement.

RU 13186 - 01: Literature of the Russian Revolution
Taught by: Thomas Marullo
What happens when a country abandons a three-hundred-year way of life, enters into repeated revolution and war, seeks heaven-on-earth, but achieves inferno and hell? Even more contradictory, perhaps, what happens when, at the same time, this country so revamps literature, painting, music, film and dance that it leads the arts in Europe in the beginning of the twentieth century?

"Literature of the Russian Revolution (in English)" focuses on the national written expression in this period. Readings include the "decadence" of Ivan Bunin, Leonid Andreev, and Feodor Sollogub; the "symbolism" of Andrei Bely and Alexander Blok; and the "modernism" of Mikhail Kuzmin, Evgeny Zamiatin, Vladimir Maiakovsky, Isaac Babel, and Boris Pilniak. (Bunin was the first Russian writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature; Zamiatin's novel, We, was the model for the antiutopian fiction of Orwell and Huxley; Bely is the Russian James Joyce).

Topics to be considered are the content and method of Russian "decadence," "symbolism," and "modernism"; the "lost" man and woman in the early twentieth century; the conflict between city and country, "old" and "new," Russia and the West; the dynamics of revolution, catastrophe, and apocalypse; the nature of "imprisonment," "liberation," and "exile" (physical, social, spiritual, and aesthetic); the interplay of "patriarchal," "maternal," and "messianic" voices; the form and function of antiutopian themes, psychological investigation, and the grotesque; the yearning for "ancient" Russia and the dismay at the new Soviet state; links to "modern" Russian painting, music, and ballet; and, the critique of modernity and its implications for humankind.

A second and equally important component of the course will be that students gain confidence and expertise as writers. As part of each class hour, students will meet in Debartolo 228, a computer cluster facility, and, both singularly and in groups, work through the lessons and exercises in writing as found in Joseph William's Style. Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace (eight edition) ( Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004).

Daily readings and discussions; papers and projects.

The course is designed to sharpen students' aesthetic and analytical capabilities, improve their reading comprehension, and strengthen their written and oral skills

Philosophy University Seminars

PHIL 13185 - 01: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by: Patricia Blanchette
This seminar is an introduction to several central philosophical problems, including the nature of human knowledge (what can we know, and how do we know it?), the relationship between the mind and the body (is thinking just neurochemical activity? can computers think?), and the nature of moral obligation (is there really a difference between right and wrong?). Readings will be drawn from historical and contemporary sources.

PHIL 13185 - 02: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by: Montey Holloway
This course is a problems oriented introduction to philosophy. We will be considering three philosophical problems: The Foundations of Morality; Freedom and Determinism; and The Existence of God. One goal of the course is for you to gain an understanding of what philosophy is by seeing how philosophers go about formulating and answering a philosophical question. Another goal of the course is for you to be able to read, on your own, a philosophical piece of writing and be able to (1) identify the philosophical question the author is trying to answer, and what the author's answer is; (2) identify what the authors arguments are for the answer he/she gives to the philosophical question; (3) assess how good the authors arguments are; and (4) state and argue for your own answer to a philosophical question.

PHIL 13185 - 03: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by: Joseph Bobik
Questions to be considered: What is Philosophy? How does it differ from theology? From the sciences? From ordinary everyday knowledge? Should I do what is right? Why? Should I obey the laws? Why? What can I believe? What does it mean to believe? What can I know? What does it mean to know? What can I love? Who (what) can be a friend? Is there anything that is changing? What does it mean to be changing? Is there anything that is real? What does it mean to be real? What am I ? A body? A mind? A mind in a body? What is a mind? What is a body? Am I free? What does it mean to be free? What is the purpose of human life? Why do I exist? What is the purpose of the universe? Does it have a purpose? How did the universe come to be? Did it come to be? Is there anything that is beautiful? What does it mean to be beautiful? Is there anything that is funny? What does it mean to be funny? What is a joke? How does a joke differ from other sorts of humor?

PHIL 13185 - 04: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by: Joseph Bobik
Questions to be considered: What is Philosophy? How does it differ from theology? From the sciences? From ordinary everyday knowledge? Should I do what is right? Why? Should I obey the laws? Why? What can I believe? What does it mean to believe? What can I know? What does it mean to know? What can I love? Who (what) can be a friend? Is there anything that is changing? What does it mean to be changing? Is there anything that is real? What does it mean to be real? What am I ? A body? A mind? A mind in a body? What is a mind? What is a body? Am I free? What does it mean to be free? What is the purpose of human life? Why do I exist? What is the purpose of the universe? Does it have a purpose? How did the universe come to be? Did it come to be? Is there anything that is beautiful? What does it mean to be beautiful? Is there anything that is funny? What does it mean to be funny? What is a joke? How does a joke differ from other sorts of humor?

PHIL 13185 - 05: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by: A.E. Manier
This problem based introduction to philosophy focuses on the tensions in contemporary political and moral philosophy that nearly reach the boiling point in discussions of traditional family values and gender relations. It is guided by the belief that such discussions are inevitably influenced by, but also significantly influence, our critical thinking about and our resolution of, the core questions of philosophy.

PHIL 13185 - 06: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by: Stephen Watson
An examination of fundamental questions about the nature of human existence, based on a critical examination of works in the existentialist tradition.

PHIL 13185 - 07: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by: Leopold Stubenberg
This course is an introduction to philosophy. We’ll start off by reading two brief but comprehensive introductory books. This will acquaint us with a large number of central philosophical questions. In the remainder of the course we’ll pursue a few select topics a little more thoroughly. In the philosophy of mind we’ll deal with the thesis that consciousness is a completely natural but humanly inexplicable phenomenon. In metaphysics we’ll confront the problem of freedom and determinism and read an author who holds that determinism is true, but that that is something we can come to terms with. In ethics we’ll ask “How should we live?” and consider the answer that self-love is the key to a fulfilled life.
Texts: Thomas Nagel: What Does It All Mean?, Bertrand Russell: The Problems of Philosophy, Colin McGinn: The Mysterious Flame. Conscious Minds in a Material World, Ted Honderich: How Free Are You? The Determinism Problem, Harry G. Frankfurt: The Reasons of Love. Requirements: There will be five short papers—one on each book.

PHIL 13185 - 08: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by John O'Callaghan
The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to certain major philosophical themes through the examination of key figures in Western philosophy. At various stages throughout the course I will spend time introducing logical concepts and techniques for philosophical argument. We will examine a number of historical texts in order to begin to see the ways in which central questions about the world around us have been asked, and how answers to these questions have been proposed. Among these questions have been the relationship of power to questions of justice, and right and wrong, education in society, the interrelationship of teaching and learning, the relation between what can be known by reason and what can be known by faith alone, and finally whether the existence of a creator God matters in any way for how one would go about answering these questions.

The course aims at the understanding of certain fundamental philosophical themes, through the development of the skills of reading, writing, and arguing in a manner appropriate to philosophy.
Texts: (Available in the Bookstore), Plato: The Republic; Descartes: Meditations (Selections available from professor.); Plato: The Euthyphro; St. Thomas Aquinas: A Shorter Summa; Kierkegaard: The Difference between a Genius and an Apostle; Kant: What is Enlightenment; Nietzsche: Beyond Good and Evil

PHIL 13185 - 09: Philosophy University Seminar
Taught by: Stephen Watson
An examination of fundamental questions about the nature of human existence, based on a critical examination of works in the existentialist tradition.

ANTH 13181 - 01: Anthropology of Haiti
Taught by: Karen Richman
In 1804, captive African laborers producing for France's most lucrative colony in the Caribbean disrupted the world economic order by simultaneously winning independence and eliminating slavery. Neither the European colonizers, nor the newly independent United States, where plantation agriculture and chattel slavery were expanding, countenanced the birth of the first thoroughly "free" nation in the hemisphere. The profoundly ambivalent, racist myth of "black" Haiti's exceptionalism has oscillated ever since from romantic enchantment to sinister revulsion. Haiti is the quintessential exotic and feared American "other."
This course applies anthropological theories and methods to deconstruct and challenge outsiders' myths of Haiti. We will study Haitian religion, kinship, social organization, economy and politics. We will become familiar with their expressive culture, including literature, music and arts. We will learn about medical anthropologist Paul Farmer's public health work as well as our own university's Haiti Program to eliminate mosquito-borne disease.
Like other Caribbean peoples, Haitians responded to the escalating economic crises of their national economy during the last quarter-century with a massive exodus to North America. We will study Haitian immigrants' struggles to adapt to their host societies and the creation of a new transnationalist networks which link home and host communities in a single and dynamic sociocultural field. We will consider the roles of religion and ritual in shaping migrants' new identities, providing systems of meaning, and sustaining relations with the home community.

ANTH 13181 - 02: Exploring Anthropology: World-making in Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature
Taught by: Meredith Chesson
In creating new worlds and societies, science fiction and fantasy writers act as anthropologists. Anthropologists study the many ways there are to be human, and science fiction and fantasy offer an ideal venue to consider what it means to be human in our own world by exploring other cultures in other worlds, places, and times. Students in this course will read novels by Italo Calvino, Octavia Butler, Guy Gavriel Kay, Maria Doria Russell, and Ursula LeGuin, and consider the worlds depicted from an anthropological perspective. In particular, this course will explore the ways in which humans construct difference in terms of gender, sexuality, race, nationality, and personal histories, and how our identities are often tied to symbols of and our own ideas about shared and unique pasts, presents, and futures.

ECON 13181 - 01: Morality and the Marketplace
Taught by: James Rakowski
Selected readings in this course will explore whether the pursuit of economics as a discipline affects moral sensitivities, and whether economic success in life requires moral compromise: for example, is successful bargaining consistent with honesty? Is individual rationality consistent with social rationality? Considerable use will be made of game theory to explore these issues.

ECON 13181 - 02: Economics and Society
Taught by: William Leahy
This seminar will examine past and current American economic challenges and problems through reading, analyzing and discussing the major works of significant economists and other writers on the subject of economics. Emphasis will be place on economics as a social science and its effect on the overall society as well as on communities, families and individuals.

POLS 13181- 01: Democracy in America
Taught by: Mary Keys
This seminar introduces first-year students to social science through a careful reading and discussion of Alexis de Tocqueville's classic work Democracy in America . Some of the themes we will consider are democracy and aristocracy, as social conditions and as political forms; republican institutions and federalism; rule of law; rights and virtue; individualism, freedom, and civic participation; and the relationship of politics to religion, culture, professional life, and the family. Students are expected to participate regularly in class discussions and debates, to give one class presentation, and to write several short papers and one term paper.

POLS 13181- 02: Ten Images of Hell
Taught by: James McAdams
In an increasingly secular age, it is striking how often people refer to a "hell on earth" when they seek to make sense of unthinkable human experiences, such as World War I, the Holocaust, Stalin's terror, and the terrorist attacks 9/11. But what do they mean by 'hell'? And, how do they account for its occurrence? In this seminar, we will explore this topic from diverse perspectives, drawing upon insights from political science, theology, philosophy, and history. We will read a number of books, including works by Aldous Huxley, Erich Maria Remarque, Arthur Koestler, and Elie Wiesel, among others. We will also consider other media, including the works of Luis Bunuel, Salvador Dali, and John Lennon. This is a seminar for students who like to read and reflect.

POLS 13181- 03: Environmental Politics
Taught by: Matt Doppke
This course looks at various theories of collective action and social movements. It will examine theoretical debates about why individuals and groups occasionally redress their grievances through protest and more often endure hardships passively. It will evaluate the relative merit of these theories in explaining cases of protest and passivity worldwide.

PSY 13181- 01: Controversies in Developmental Psychology
Taught by: Jeanne Day
In this seminar we will examine some of the more controversial texts in developmental psychology. Examples of topics that may be discussed include: ethnic/racial differences in intelligence, peer versus parent influences on development and recovered memories.

PSY 13181- 02: Controversies in Developmental Psychology
Taught by: Jeanne Day
In this seminar we will examine some of the more controversial texts in developmental psychology. Examples of topics that may be discussed include: ethnic/racial differences in intelligence, peer versus parent influences on development and recovered memories.

SOC 13181- 01: Capitalism and Democracy
Taught by: William Carbonaro
In this course, we will examine the fundamental tensions and dilemmas that arise in a society that is both capitalist and democratic. Can we maximize economic liberty without undermining political equality? What is the proper role of government in a capitalist system? Do corporations need to be regulated, or do markets hold them accountable for their behavior? Is it desirable or even possible to have an economic system that is democratic? A multitude of ideological perspectives will be presented to address these and other critically important questions about American society.

SOC 13181- 02: Should You Get Married in the Year 2009?
Taught by: David Klein
This course examines the details of dating and courtship at the beginning of the 21 st century. It is a writing-intensive course with some reading and some relationship assessment exercises. Topics to be covered include: how couples meet, how relationships progress toward marriage, who marries whom, predicting marital success, history of courtship, courtship violence, and understanding breakups. Students need not be dating to enroll.

SOC 13181- 03: Responding to International Crisis
Taught by: Samuel Valenzuela
Focuses on current issues in international affairs and what the U.S. policy response to them should be. The participants will be divided into groups specializing on events and issues in each continent in the world, with an additional group focusing on issues of global importance. Each session of the seminar will hear the reports prepared by students in two such groups (i.e., the Africa and the Asia groups, or the Europe and global affairs groups). The reports must be individually written, with the crisp style of policy briefs, on different countries or issues, and must include an assessment of the origins and nature of the problem or problems at hand, as well as recommendations regarding what the U.S. should do. The required reading for the seminar will be the New York Times (the printed version) on a daily basis. Students may go to the Internet news services of the New York Times or of other sources for additional background information on the situation they wish to write about.

SOC 13181- 04: Capitalism and Democracy
Taught by: William Carbonaro
In this course, we will examine the fundamental tensions and dilemmas that arise in a society that is both capitalist and democratic. Can we maximize economic liberty without undermining political equality? What is the proper role of government in a capitalist system? Do corporations need to be regulated, or do markets hold them accountable for their behavior? Is it desirable or even possible to have an economic system that is democratic? A multitude of ideological perspectives will be presented to address these and other critically important questions about American society.

THEO 13183 - 06: Foundations of Theology
Taught by: Jean Porter
The Bible and the traditions of the early Church are the foundations for all Christian theology - and for many of our shared moral, cultural and artistic practices as well. In this course, we will explore some of the ways in which Scripture and early Christian traditions are used in theological reflection, focusing on the uses of these materials in moral reflections. Topics to be studied will include the Ten Commandments and Christian ethics, the moral significance of Jesus, war and peace, sexual ethics, and the moral meaning of the nation-state. At the same time, this class will also provide students with an opportunity to develop and strengthen skills in academic reflection and writing.