History
001, Section 001
Western
Civilization 1:
From
Earliest Times to the Seventeenth Century
Class
meets MWF 2.30-3.20 in 101 Chambers Philip
Jenkins
I
check my e-mail regularly, and this is an excellent way to get in touch with me
if you have a quick question or if you want to make an appointment for a more
substantial discussion.
The
Course
This
course examines the development of western civilization from ancient times
through the early modern period. Major themes will include the formation and
development of states, and the ideologies which they employ to achieve
legitimacy and acceptance; the role of law and monarchy in this process; and
the social foundations of religious thought. The course will also consider the
essential role of natural resources and the natural environment in establishing
the boundaries within which societies can operate, and the degree to which
these limitations can be overcome through technology.
Grading
Grading
will be based on two midterm examinations and a comprehensive final, all of
which will be in essay format. The two midterms will each carry 25 percent of
the grade, while the final exam will carry fifty percent. There is no extra
credit work.
Regular
class attendance is of course expected, especially since lectures may well
include a lot that will not be in the readings. I reserve the right to take
attendance.
Deadlines
Deadlines
matter, and I intend to enforce them strictly. If you miss a deadline without
getting an extension in advance, you get a non-negotiable grade of F on that
particular exam or project. Do not get in touch with me after the fact to
explain why you missed an exam, unless you produce a proper medical note.
Excuses must always be supported by documentation. Valid reasons include
medical problems and the like. I am aware that ROTC sometimes makes strange
demands on its members, and these reasons would be valid: but note that ROTC
also provides documentation for these absences, which must be produced if you
want to claim this as a reason for an extension.
The
following are not valid reasons for an extension, so don't ask:
“I
have other exams that day” (so ask the other professors for the
extension)
“I'm
leaving early for break” (not if you want the grade, you're not)
“My
hard drive died on me, so I couldn’t print out the paper,”
alternatively, “The computer ate my homework” (so back up all your
work regularly).
Text
In
paperback and required
Jackson
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, volume one, Wadsworth/Thomson, fourth
edition, 2000. ISBN: 0-534-56836-X. (Please note: you should ONLY buy
the latest (fourth) edition of this book, not one of the earlier ones!)
SYLLABUS
OF CLASSES
1.
Jan. 8
Which
West? What civilization?
Mare
Nostrum; Romanitas; Europe; Christendom; The West
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 1
2.
Jan. 10
Emergence
of civilizations
3.
Jan. 12
Ancient
Near East
4.
Jan. 15
The
Hebrew tradition
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 2
5.
Jan. 17
First
civilizations on the European continent.
6.
Jan. 19
The
Rise of Greece
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 3
7.
Jan. 22
Greeks
and Persians
8.
Jan. 24
The
great age of Greece
FILM:
Art of the Western World 1a. The Greeks
9.
Jan. 26
Alexander
the Great
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 4
10.
Jan. 29
The
Hellenistic Age
11.
Jan. 31
The
Rise of Rome
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 5
12.
Feb. 2
Rome
and Greece
FILM:
Art of the Western World 1b. Romans
13.
Feb. 5
Crisis
of the Roman Republic
14.
Feb. 7
The
Roman Empire
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 6
15.
Feb. 9
Roman
cultural inheritance
16.
Feb. 12
Rise
of Christianity
17.
Feb. 14
The
Christian Empire
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 7
18.
Feb. 16
The
Fall of Rome
19.
Feb. 19.
Barbarian
States
20.
Feb. 21
EXAM
ONE
21.
Feb. 23
Age
of Justinian
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 8
22.
Feb. 26
Rise
of Islam
23.
Feb. 28
From
Clovis to Charlemagne
24.
March 2
The
new Dark Age: Slavic and Scandinavian peoples
*SPRING
BREAK*
25.
March 12
Rebuilding
the West 900-1100. Schism between east and west
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 9
26.
March 14
Age
of Romanesque
FILM:
Art of the Western World 2a. Romanesque
27.
March 16
Feudal
Society
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 10
28.
March 19
Crusades,
I.
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 11
29.
March 21
Crusades,
II
30.
March 23
The
intellectual heritage of the middle ages
31.
March 26
Medieval
culture; the towns
FILM:
Art of the Western World 2b. Gothic
32.
March 28
The
war for orthodoxy and the creation of an intolerant society
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 12
33.
March 30
The
new nation states 1300-1500.
34.
April 2
Economic
and demographic crisis
35.
April 4
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 13
FILM:
Art of the Western World 3a. Early Renaissance
36.
April 6
Crime
and justice in medieval and early modern Europe
37.
April 9
The
Renaissance
38.
April 11
FILM:
Art of the Western World 3b. Flemish Renaissance
39.
April 13
Mongols
and Turks; the reshaping of Eastern Europe
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 14
40.
April 16
Reformation
41.
April 18
Counter-Reformation
42.
April 20
EXAM
TWO
43.
April 23
New
geographical discoveries in east and west.
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 15
44.
April 25
Confessional
states and the new power politics. Wars of religion
*Read
Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chapter 16
45.
April 27
The
Thirty Years War and the military revolution
************
FINAL
EXAM IN FINALS PERIOD, APRIL 30-MAY 4
SELECTED
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Academic
Integrity Policy
Academic
integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception
and is an educational objective of this institution. Academic dishonesty
includes (but is not limited to) cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of
information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others,
unauthorized prior possession of examinations, submitting work of another
person or work previously used without informing the instructor, and tampering
with the academic work of other students (see Policies and Rules for Students,
Section 49-20). Academically dishonest students may be punished with a minor
penalty, typically a zero on a quiz or test, or with a major penalty such as a
grade of "F" in a course. Please note that a student may not be
forced to withdraw from a course for an academic integrity violation by the
teacher alone.
Students
who are punished with major penalties may appeal the decision. Cases that are
sufficiently serious to warrant disciplinary actions beyond academic sanctions
may be referred by the faculty member to the Office of Judicial Affairs for
further review.
Disability
Access Statement
The
Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to
participate in this programs and activities and is committed to the policy that
all people shall have equal access to programs, facilities, and admissions
without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance,
or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or
federal
authorities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course
or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as
possible.