NODE.801 Obsolete Syllabus B. Ricardo Brown, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Cultural Studies Pratt Institute   BRBrownIII@earthlink.net  Retrurn to the Course Materials Page

__Course Description__

The weapon of the Republic is terror, the strength of the republic is virtue. Virtue: for without it, terror is corruptible; terror: for without it, virtue is powerless. Terror is an outgrowth of virtue; it is more than swift, rigorous, and inflexible justice. Some say terror is the weapon of a despotic government, therefore ours resembles despotism. Certainly, but in the way a sword in the hand of a hero of freedom resembles a saber in the hand of a tyrants minion. If a tyrant rules his animal-like subjects through terror, that is his right as a despot. If you destroy through terror the enemies of freedom, you, founders of the Republic, are no less right. The Revolutionary government is the despotism of freedom against tyranny. Spare the Royalists! Certain people cry. Spare the wicked? No! Spare the innocent, spare the weak, spare the unfortunate, spare humanity! Only the peaceful citizen deserves the protection of society. In a republic only republicans are citizens, royalists and foreigners are enemies. To punish the oppressors of mankind is kindness --- to pardon them is barbarity. “Robspierre” in Georg Buchner's Danton's Death in Henry J. Schmidt, trans. and ed. 1977. Georg Buchner: The Complete Collected Works. New York: Avon. Pgs 27-29.

The readings for this course will concern these and other questions from within the context of the history of the West.

__Course Requirements__

Presentations and Commentaries

Students are expected to give at least one presentation during the semester on the readings for the class. One person per required reading. The presenter will prepare a two page typed commentary (approximately 650 – 700 words), which will be read or summarized in class. Copies will be distributed at the beginning of class (those presenting must see me immediately before class so that copies can be prepared (or bring your own copies to class). Those not presenting should prepare their comments after the class, including a commentary on the presentations for the week (three pages or approximately 1000 words). At the end of the semester, each student should have a collection of 12 weeks of readings (approximately 39 pages) and 1 three page presentation. The commentaries will be collected 3 times during the semester.

Or to put it another way:

If you are presenting a commentary:

Prepare two typed pages to be read or summarized to the class (650 -700 words).

Meet me in my office immediately before class in order to make copies for the class.

If you are not presenting a commentary:

Prepare an approximately 1000 word commentary (typed) on the reading and the in-class commentary on the reading.

The presentations and commentaries will account for 50 percent.

Short Essay

A short essay (5-10 pages) will be due at the end of the course. The essay question will be distributed at the final class and will be 40 percent of the final grade.

Class Participation

Education is not a one way street and we can not expect to simply passively receive knowledge unless we expect to live a passive life. Participation is mandatory and will be factored into the final grade (10 percent).

Absences and Lateness

Persistent absences or lateness will result in a reduction of your final grade.

Incompletes

Incompletes will be granted only in accordance with the established policy of the college. The request must be made in advance of the last week of class. It must be made in writing and the standard incomplete contract submitted to the Department Chair before the last week of the semester. An incomplete is “available only if the student has been in regular attendance, has satisfied all but the final requirements of the course, and has furnished satisfactory proof that the work was not completed because of illness or other circumstances beyond control” (Pratt Institute Bulletin). If you do not turn in your paper on time, and you do not have an approved incomplete, you will fail the course. If you do not complete your work be the beginning of the next semester, I will not issue a change of grade except under the most extraordinary circumstances.

For stylistic questions, William Strunk and E.B. White’s Elements of Style is highly recommended.