East Meets West
Honors 101
Eliza Glaze (History) and Philip Whalen (History)
Honors Program Co-Directors
Coastal Carolina University Eliza Glaze and Philip Whalen
Course Description: Honors 101 is a humanities-based interdisciplinary course designed to explore itineraries pertinent to a life of public engagement and ethical responsibility. The theme for the current academic year is "East Meets West." We examine key primary sources (textual, graphic and musical) and scholarly analyses that discuss various encounters -- between the West and East around the globe, past and present. By the end of term, students will have a sounder understanding of the historical roots of contemporary opportunities, challenges, obstacles, and future departures engendered by East-West encounters.
Syllabus
| Date | Topic |
| 17 Aug | Introductions & Syllabus Review Module 1: Ancients and Empires |
| 22 Aug |
Prof. Arne Flaten (Art History): "Western Origins? From Babylon to the Hellenistic World" Readings: David W. Del Testa, ed. "The Persian Empire of Darius," idem, "The Greek Empire: The Creation of the Hellenistic World." Richter, Gisela. "Greeks in Persia," and Stott, G. "Persepolis." |
| 24 Aug | Discussion |
| 29 Aug | Prof. Nils Rauhut (Philosophy): "Ideals of Virtue, Family, and Politics in the Ancient World" Readings: Plato, Republic Book IV (Plato on Justice) 441c-445d and Book V (Plato on Women and Family) 455d -461a; Confucius: Selections from the Analects and from the Commonwealth State |
| 31 Aug |
Discussion. Paper questions given out for 9/7. |
| 5 Sept |
Labor Day Holiday |
| 7 Sept |
Prof. Eliza Glaze (History): "Whose Hero? Alexander the Great in the Literature of East and West" Lecture & Discussion. Readings: Minoo S. Southgate, "The Portrait of Alexander in Persian Alexander-Romances of the Islamic Era." William L. Hanaway, "Anahita and Alexander," and Excerpts from Walter of Chatillon's Romance of Alexander. |
|
12 Sept |
Module 2: Ethical and Economic Frontiers Prof. Eileen Joy (English): "The Old English Wonders of the East and Martha Nussbaum's ‘Body of the Nation'" Readings: The Old English "Wonders of the East" and Martha Nussbaum, "Body of the Nation: Why Women Were Mutilated in Gujarat." |
| 14 Sept |
Discussion |
| 19 Sept |
Prof. Eliza Glaze (History): "Europe Ascendant: Crusades, Curiosities & the Technology of Conquest" Readings: Rudolf Wittkower, "Marvels of the East" and Jordanus Catalani, Mirabilia Descripta: the Wonders of the East, excerpts. |
| 21 Sept | Discussion |
| 26 Sept |
Prof. Philip Whalen (History): "Jesuits Create New Worlds" Readings: John Strickland, "Jesuits and the Civilizations of Europe and Asia," David Sweet, "Rich Realm Disturbed," excerpts from The Jesuit Relations, and Olive P. Dickason, "Amerindians in Europe." |
| 28 Sept | Discussion |
| 3 Oct |
Prof. Philip Whalen (History): "From Napoleon's Egypt to the 1931 Colonial Exposition" Readings: Gerard de Nerval excerpts from The Women of Cairo, Charles Baudelaire, The Flowers of Evil, Florence Lemoine, "Napoleon's Occupation of Egypt and the Reforms of Muhammed ‘Ali," and Martin Evans, "Projecting a Greater France." |
| 5 Oct | Discussion |
| 10 Oct |
Module 3: Orientalism, Desire and Identity Readings: Linda Nochlin, "The Imaginary Orient," Abigail Solomon-Gudeau, "Going Native: Paul Gauguin and the Invention of Primitive Modernism," and Frederick N. Bohrer, "Inventing Assyria: Exoticism and Reception in Nineteenth-Century England and France." |
| 12 Oct | Discussion |
| 17 Oct |
Profs. Maggie Ivanova (English) & Sandi Shackelford (Theater) "Orientalizing the Self: Madame Butterfly and M. Butterfly." Readings: Sunday 10/16 Film preview of Madame Butterfly; David Henry Hwang, M Butterfly and Edward Said, "Introduction" from Orientalism. |
| 19 Oct | Discussion |
| 24 Oct |
Prof. Sandi Shackelford (Theater): "Shakespeare's Macbeth and Kurosawa's Throne of Blood" Readings: William Shakespeare's Macbeth Act I, sc. I- Act II, sc. i; Act V, sc. i and Harold Bloom, "Macbeth." |
| 26 Oct | Discussion |
| 31 Oct |
Prof. Eileen Joy (English): "Suicide Terrorism and the Mahabharata" Readings: M. Ignatieff, "Democracy and the Lesser Evil" (1-24) "The Weakness of the Strong" (54-81), and the Mahabharata, selections. |
| 2 Nov | Discussion |
| 14 Nov |
"Profs. Eliza Glaze & Philip Whalen (History): "Describing Other, Becoming Other, Consuming Other? Western Travelers to the East" Readings: Isabella Bird, Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan (Selections); Freya Stark, "Winter in Arabia," Paul Gaugin's Noa Noa and Haunani-Kay Trask, From a Native Daughter selections. |
| 16 Nov | Discussion |
| 21-23 Nov | Thanksgiving Break |
| 28 Nov | Conclusions & Review |
| 30 Nov | Summary Discussion. Final papers due as scheduled. |
Grading
Quizzes: There will be brief 3-Question quizzes administered during the first 5 minutes of class every Monday. These are designed to insure that you have done the readings for that day. If you're late to class, you miss the quiz. There will be no make-ups, but only 10 out of 14 quizzes will be counted.
Papers: At the close of every Monday lecture, you will be given a series of critical questions or problems to think about regarding material covered in the lecture and in that day's readings. When you come to class on Wednesday, bring with you a 2.5-page written analysis of one of these problems. Papers are to be typed, spell- and grammar-checked, and are due at the start of class. Only 8 out of a possible 14 such 2.5-page papers will be counted (so you can choose, based upon your schedules and preferences, which readings to analyze, and which weeks to write papers). A final, reflective 4-5 page paper will be due on the last meeting of the semester, November 30. This final paper will consist of your analyses of 3 scholarly articles on any topic related to the class that you have located using databases and indices in the Library. This final paper will count as 2 shorter papers, giving 10 papers in all for the semester. Scale: A= 90-100; B+= 88-89; B= 80-87; C+= 78-79; C= 70-77; D+= 68-69; D= 60- 67.
Grade Calculation: The following grading standards will apply:
Papers: 50 %
Quizzes: 25 %
Discussion: 25 %