HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Prof. Maryanne Horowitz   Spring 2002

Hist. 300, section 2  History of Ideas. W 1:30-4:25 p.m., N. Swan 200.

This seminar will focus on modern and contemporary ideas, controversies, and movements in historical context.  As a class, we shall examine controversies on freedom of speech and expression and on gender equity. We shall consider how new ideas transform the process of gaining and classifying knowledge. As intellectual and cultural historians working on a research paper of their choice, students may consider intellectual traditions, cultural centers and institutions, or movements that generated controversies, theories or methods. Models for writing include the Journal of the History of Ideas and the reference works Dictionary of the History of Ideas and Encyclopedia of American Cultural & Intellectual History (call numbers below).

 This course meets the History Department  Hist. 300 seminar requirement for Majors and Minors. Other students are welcome to enroll. Class is available for Classical Studies credit with appropriate paper tracing the influence of classical ideas. Class may be petitioned for WS/GS credit with appropriate paper.

Office Hours: Swam 317.  Tues 8:20-9:50, Wed.  12:30-1:25, Thurs. 1:00-1:25 & by appt.  Any substitute office hour (due to a scheduled Occidental College meeting) will be announced in class a week ahead and posted on office door.

Leave messages at email horowitz@oxy.edu, at office phone 323-259-2583, or at home fax310-573-4160. The class meets on 14 Wednesdays for 3 hours each time. Please notify professor and submit written notes of your readings before class if you have to miss class.

Homepage: http://www.oxy.edu/~horowitz/home     Use "Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Sites" under Resources from Horowitz homepage http://www.oxy.edu/~horowitz/home. Explore Library resources on the Web from Occidental College Library homepage http://departments.oxy.edu/library/              
 

Books:                                                                             

Franklin Baumer, Main Currents of Western Thought, 4^th edition, 1978.

Carlo Ginzburg, The Cheese and the Worm: Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller

Eric Foner, The Story of American Freedom (read together with your selection of articles in Encyuclopedia of American Cultural & Intellectual History)   OR

Wendy Komar and Frances Bartkowski, eds., Feminist Theory: A Reader

Grade and Requirements:

2/6 15 pp. Research paper plus endnotes and bibliography divided into primary sources, secondary sources, and websites (Univ. of Chicago style as in Turabian's research paper books and in articles in American Historical Review). History majors need grade of  final revised paper turned in Mon. April 23 to be at least a B-. Good goal for all.  Some will meet that requirement in paper due date of  Mon. April 1.

1/6 Intermediate steps for paper. This course advances students’ writing through feedback on numerous intermediate steps. See due dates below.

1/6 First Essay Exam (mainly Ginzburg, Baumer, readings in Dictionary of the History of Ideas).  

1/6 Second Essay Exam (mainly Foner, Encyclopedia of American Cultural & Intellectual History or Kolmar; Baumer; student research)

1/6 Attendance, Oral reports, presentations, sharing of sources, and commentary on others’ projects

 Wed. Reading Assignments. Bring your annotated books to class; bring reading notes and questions for discussion. Reading to be done throughout the week for student to be prepared on the reading on the due date. Group assignments are below; students will take on additional assignments related to own interests.

Jan. 23 Introduction.

Email Prof. Horowitz if you missed Jan. 23 class for individual assignments for Jan. 30.

Jan. 30 Baumer:  pp. 3-14 intro., The Renaissance: 103-164, Persecution and Toleration, 222-230. Report on one article in Dictionary of the History of Ideas.

Special event: Field trip to Getty Center to see current exhibit on Devices of Wonder and on the 18th-century Grand Tour to Rome. Both exhibits show early modern approaches to learning through observation. Scientific approaches utilized sense knowlege, while skeptically aware the senses might deceive.

Feb. 6  Feb. 6 Topic(s) and working bibliography. Baumer: Scientific Revolution pp. 249-336.

Feb. 13 Carlo Ginzburg, The Cheese and the Worms (read with endnotes), 1-61. Baumer: pp. 337-359.

Special event: Thurs. Feb. 14, 4:30 p.m., Morrison Lounge. Students in this class invited to a lecture in the faculty's Intellectual Life Series: Prof. Horowitz "Twelve Agricultural Months and Twelve Categories of Books: Piero de' Medici's Influential Room of Collection, Medici Palace, Florence, 1450s-60s" (Slide-lecture) Refreshments

Feb. 20   Thesis statement of committed topic and subdivided bibliography. Carlo Ginzburg, The Cheese and the Worms (read with endnotes), 62-128. Baumer: Enlightenment, pp. 363-411.

Feb. 27  2 copies of 100-150 word paper abstract. Baumer, Enlightenment 412-462, New Enlightenment,  505-562.  Instead of class, there will be a special event 4-6 p.m. Morrison lounge. Prof. John Pocock, Professor Emeritus, Johns Hopkins University/Clark Visiting Professor, UCLA, speaking on "Indigenous History and Sovereignty: The Peoples of New Zealand and the Treaty of Waitangi"  3-3:30 please join us for conversation in Samuelson Pavillion.

March 6       Exam 1.

M  March 11, 5 p.m.  2 copies of sentence outline of paper with one copy of some notes labeled by outline section.  Baumer, Darwinian World, 563-609. Foner chs. 1-2 or Feminist Theory:  Part I

 March 13 Baumer: Toward the Twentieth Century, 610-641. Foner chs. 2-3 or Feminist Theory:  Part II

Spring Break

March 27   Baumer: Age of Anxiety, 644-683. Foner chs. 4,5,6 or Feminist Theory:  Part III

M April 1, 5 p.m. 2 copies of 15 pp.of paper with endnotes and primary and secondary source bibliography. More details below under INTERMEDIATE STEPS FOR PAPER

April 3 Baumer:  Sci. Rev. and Human Nature 684-724. Foner chs. 7-8 orFeminist Theory:  Part IV

April 10 Baumer: New Social Perspectives, 725-760. Foner chs 9, 10,11 or Feminist Theory:  Part V

M April 15, 5 p.m. 2 copies,  l-page each commentary on two student papers.

April 17  Baumer: Role of Intellectuals, Progress or Decay? 761-794. Foner chs. 12-13 or Feminist Theory:  Part VI

April 24   Exam 2.

M. April 29. Final Revised Paper Due by 5 p.m

May 1 Last Class. Student Evaluations  

No Final.

INTERMEDIATE STEPS FOR PAPER 

W. Feb. 6 Topic(s) and working bibliography.

W. Feb. 20 Thesis statement of committed topic and subdivided bibliography.

W Feb. 27  2 copies of 100-150 word paper abstract

M  March 11, 5 p.m.  2 copies of sentence outline of paper with one copy of some notes labeled by outline section.

M April 1, 5 p.m. 2 copies of 15 pp.of paper with endnotes and primary and secondary source bibliography. Revised complete sentence outline. View this date as paper deadline, even though some will take opportunity to rewrite. Students who do not pass in at least 10 pages of paper, endnotes, and bibiography will not meet this intermediate paper step.

M April 15, 5 p.m.  2 copies, l-page each commentary on two student papers.

M. April 29. Final Revised Paper Due by 5 p.m

It is best to do all stages of paper on a wordprocessor with spelling and
grammar checker and to regularly discuss paper and sources with classmates.

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2 Encyclopedias and  1 Journal to Utilize: