A mini-course focused on a specific topic, usually a single book, that provides the basis for a critical exploration of emerging intellectual ideas in science, math, the humanities, or social sciences; global/local socio-economic challenges; historical issues; or trends in art and/or music.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 course |
This HONR 200 Reading Course will focus on Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy, a book that I love, partly because it reviews the central ideas of a handful of provocative Western philosophers, but also because it invites me to read philosophy -- and other sorts of art -- in a new way. Philosophy, de Botton argues, can give us advice about how to live. He turns to Socrates in chapter one to figure out how to cope with being unpopular; he consoles himself for being inadequate by reading what irreverent Michel de Montaigne has to say about social norms, bodily functions, and daily life. During our short seminar, we'll discuss the work of six philosophers as presented in de Botton's humorous and incisive essays. Along the way, each of us will consider the artists to whom we turn when we seek solace for life's hardships and anxieties. We'll have fun with this, moving beyond Western philosophy to consider, for example, children's books, seriously strange films, art exhibits, and novels we love.
Percival Everett's acclaimed 2024 novel James re-imagines the controversial classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In doing so, he not only revises Mark Twain's famous story about a journey through the heart of the country, but also re-visions the story of race and slavery and their legacy in American life. In discussing the two books together, we will test the power of fiction, new and old, as a tool for sorting through moral choices, questioning assumptions, and imagining alternative possibilities.
The very first line of John Milton's celebrated epic _Paradise Lost_, which he wrote in 1667, includes the word "disobedience," and it ends (spoiler alert!) with Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden. Reading _all_ of _Paradise Lost_, not just the excerpts you might encounter in a survey course, earns you bragging rights and can be a highlight of your liberal arts education. More than that, though, _Paradise Lost_ has _everything_ that we are still talking about today, from the questions of what is evil (and why Satan may be the most interesting character) to the role of Eve in contemporary discourse about gender, to religious conflicts and even the nature of free will. We will read about two of the twelve "books" of _Paradise Lost_ per class session. Students will each give a presentation and will complete a final scholarly or creative project at the end of the course.
Over the centuries, the witchcraft trials at Salem MA in 1692 have inspired ongoing scholarly exploration as people struggle to understand how such deadly hysteria could pervade a supposedly rational society. This course considers a new approach by author Alice Markham-Cantor, whose ancestor Martha Carrier, was executed in Salem of 1692. The author examines the major figures involved in the witch hunt, considers various theories about the impetus of the hysteria, and considers "witch hunts"; that have occurred since Salem. Class session will include discussion, use of archival records, in-class readings, and student presentations.
This HONR reading course introduces students to the boundaries between culture and commerce through the lens of music. The readings will prompt us to grapple with and ask questions about authenticity, success, and the commercialization of culture. This text and course will appeal to students interested in the creative arts and media.
This course marks the launch of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½'s Creative School by exploring the ways in which our understandings and uses of the term "creativity" have changed up to the present moment. Taking Shannon Steen's THE CREATIVITY COMPLEX: ART, TECH, AND THE SEDUCTION OF AN IDEA as its text, the course will explore what "creativity" has meant and currently means in a variety of academic disciplines and professional fields, as well as in social, political, cultural, and economic contexts. We will discuss how the concept of creativity has been deployed in and beyond the arts in areas including health and wellness, technology, education, and more. We will also examine the impact of such deployments and how we might (or might not) rethink current and prevailing uses of the term.