HISTORY 1110
WORLD CIVILIZATIONS to 1650
COURSE SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Robert M. Ruff
OFFICE: N-109
E-mail: bob.ruff@volstate.edu
SEMESTER OFFERED: Fall 2004
Required texts: Kevin Reilly, Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader Vol. 1, Second edition
Jerry Bentley and Herbert Ziegler, Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past Vol. 1
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WORLD CIVILIZATION TO 1650
COURSE HIST 1110 World Civilizations from Primitive Man to 1650 (3)
DESCRIPTION A study of the emergence and development of civilizations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America using the universal culture pattern. An analysis and comparison of economic, social, political, religious, intellectual and aesthetic characteristics of civilizations will be emphasized.
INSTUCTOR Robert M. Ruff
222 Waterview Drive
Hendersonville, TN 37075
Phone: 824-9748 Email: bob.ruff@volstate.edu
OFFICE PHONE 615-452-8600, EXTENSION 3236
OFFICE HOURS Posted on office door (N-109). Other times available by appointment.
TEXTBOOKS Kevin Reilly, Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader Vol. 1 Second edition
Jerry Bentley and Herbert Ziegler, Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past Vol. 1
GENERAL
The general education goal of
this course is to provide information EDUCATION
which enables students to identify, analyze, and understand the
GOAL
social aspects of culture and the cultural heritage.
GENERAL As a result of successfully completing this course, students will
EDUCATION have demonstrated an acceptable level of mastery of the Universal
GOAL Culture Pattern, i.e., that all civilizations are composed of the same essential characteristics; economic, social, political, religious, intellectual and aesthetic. It is the particular interrelationship that makes each civilization unique.
OTHER This course also emphasizes that the student should/must develop
GOALS critical thinking skills in order to solve problems and assess values. Effective communication, both oral and written is required. This course hopes to also instill confidence, inspire excellence, and pursue wisdom.
The Worlds of History textbook maybe the most valuable tool you will have for this class. Each section has a series of questions to which you should make every effort to respond. Developing critical thinking skills is the priority in this course. Making connections, seeing relationships, similarities and differences across civilizations is of the utmost importance. As you read the selections, try to organize your notes according to the Universal Culture Pattern. Learn to see how things social are affected by economics or aesthetics and science are connected. Indeed, how do the categories interact? Write your thoughts down. Keep a record of you ideas. If questions occur, write those down and bring up in class the next day. You will need to read at least 20 pages per day. Keep a record in your journal, As Professor Reilly emphasizes, you are to “analyze, synthesize, and interpret”. Pay close attention to the sections “Historical Context”, “Thinking Historically” and “Reflections”.
You will be introduced to many different cultures, civilizations, ideas, religions…indeed many “worlds of history”. You are expected to attempt to understand, not necessarily accept or believe these new ideas. For example, the course begins with…pre-history…Invariably this is associated with the concepts of evolution. It is not my purpose to convince you that the theory of natural history is the truth. It is simply one explanation for the creation of history. We will also cover many other creation stories including the Judaeo-Christian. It will be your responsibility to compare and contrast the various stories of creation. You are expected to come to your own conclusions. Are there any similarities to these explanations? How would you explain this? Are there any differences? How would you explain? How is this information affecting you? Keep a record.
By doing the things described above, you will continually be developing the skills of:
CRITICAL THINKING
CRITICAL READING
CRITICAL WRITING
CRITICAL LISTENING
CRITICAL DISCUSSION
If all goes according to plan, the results should be greater understanding and wisdom. Possibly you will even decipher the MEANING of LIFE or at least the meaning of history. Hopefully this class will provide you with an opportunity to experience learning. Learn something new every day and you will succeed in this class. Concentrate on what you are discovering, not on what you don’t know.
“History is a way of learning. If we are honest we can see ourselves as others see us”.
William Appleman Williams
ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES
GENERAL The degree to which the outcomes of the primary goals of this
EDUCATION course have been achieved will be determined by the cumulative
OTHER
The attainment level of the
critical thinking problem solving,
GOALS
organization and communication skills (all vitally necessary in
the pursuit of excellence and wisdom) will be ascertained by
essay examinations, film critiques, 5 pages “mini-research papers”,
and two questions to be turned in to the instructor each Friday. The
two questions must be significant and the student must be able to
explain answer to the class. Analyzing different and comparing
different philosophies and religion will help student evaluate
his/her own personal values.
YOU MUST MAINTAIN A CRITICAL THINKING JOURNAL.
Keeping a Critical Thinking Journal:
An Intellectual Odyssey Through History
A critical thinking journal is a personal, but not private, record of you responses to what you are reading or thinking at the moment. It is written in an informal style that reflects your personality - - don’t attempt to sound scholarly or formal, unless of course you are scholarly or formal. Ideally, the journal writer should give his reader the impression of reading over his shoulder.
Write in longhand; do not type your journal unless you habitually type first impressions. You don’t have to write something every day, but don’t wait until the night before it is due to write up your journal.
Put in your journal your honest opinions, comments, analyses, insights, and questions. Give your responses, intellectual and emotional, to your reading and class developments.
Possible things to write about as you read:
a. Ask questions about particular things that bother you. You may get an answer when your journal is returned.
b. Make comparisons between people, events, and ideas in past to present.
c. If you see a pattern in the events of history, explain it.
d. Talk about the characters. Why you like or dislike them? What are their motivations? What kind of people are they? How you know, or why you are not sure.
e. Comment on ideas, people or episodes that seem particularly important to you.
If you like something, say so. If you don’t, explain.
Don’t try to deal with all aspects of history, text, or class. Develop you topics, and be specific. Don’t just make general comments.
Some reading will interest you more than others. But approach each with the assurance that you will come away from the reading of it with a greater understanding of the past, present, and yourself.
EXAMS The three (3) essay exams will be given during the semester. No make-up exam will be given unless you call me before the exam.
In this course, there is no one answer to an essay question; use your imagination – think –be creative!
GRADE SCALE IS RELATIVE, NOT ABSOLUTE.
A = 90 – 100 Excellent on 3 exams, 3 “Ruff drafts” or equivalent
B = 81 – 89 Good on 3 exams, or equivalent
C = 72 – 80 Adequate on 3 exams, 3 “Ruff drafts” or equivalent
D = 65 – 71 Barely passing
F = 65 and below Competency not achieved due to irregular attendance, failure to complete all assignments, failure to take examinations, lack of class participation (lazy), or plagiarism. Plagiarism is using another person’s ideas as your own, copying all of parts of someone else’s work, having another person write the assignment, getting too much assistance, or failing to document properly borrowed information.
I = Incomplete Very rarely given under extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the instructor.
“Once there was a flock of geese. They were kept in a wire cage by a farmer. One day,
one of the geese looked up and saw that there was no top to the cage. Excitedly, he
told the other geese:
“Look, look: There is no top. We may leave here. We may
become free.”
Few listened, and none would turn his head to the sky. So one day, he simply spread
his wings and flew away – alone.”
Soren Kierkegaard
I. Discuss thoroughly the development of the culture pattern in one of the
Civilizations we have studied. Feel free to make judgments, comparisons, note similarities, contrasts, significance, and contributions to civilizations. Why did you select this civilization? Why is it important?
II. Write short explanatory paragraphs on three of the following:
(1) Religion in India
(2) Intellectual development in China
(3) Etc.
(4)
(5)
III. List the major characteristic of the Egyptian Civilization – Compare with
Mesopotamia.
IV. A. Identify (10) B. Locate on Map
(1) Akhenaton (1) Nile
(2) Epic of Gilgamesh (2) Troy
(3) Confucius (3) Timbuktu
(4) Upanishads (4) Etc.
(5) Etc.
I. Introduction
A. The Whats, Hows, and Whys of History
B. The Universal Culture Pattern
II. The Ancient World
A. Primitive Man
B. Mesopotamia
C. Egypt
D. The Glory That Was Greece
E. The Grandeur That Was Rome
F. India
G. China
III. The Middle Ages
A. The Rise of Christianity and the Fall of Rome
B. The Byzantine Empire
C. Early Russia
D. The Origin and Expansion of Islam
E. Imperial India
F. T’ang and Sung China
G. Emergence of Japan
H. The Impact of the Mongols
I. Europe
1. Fuedalism
2. Manorialism
3. The Crusades
4. The Rise of Trade and Towns
5. Emergence of the Nation
a. England
b. France
c. Spain
d. Germany and Italy
6. The Church
a. Philosophy
b. Religion
c. Aesthetics
IV. From “Medieval” to “Modern”
A. Europe in Transition 1300 – 1500
B. Renaissance
C. Reformation
D. National Growth in Europe 1500 – 1600
E. The Islamic World (1350 – 1650)
F. Asia on the Defensive
G. Africa and America
H. The Expansion of Europe
“Thus spoke the Devil to me once: God too has his Hell. This is his love of Man.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
REMEMBER:
“Not failure, but low aim is crime.”
Alexander Pope
“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,
Or what’s a heaven for?”
Robert Browning
“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”
T. S. Eliot
YOU HAVE TIME TO DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO DO!