The Seven Deadly Sins: Honors Introductory Seminar

HONR 101 – 3 credits
Dr. Philip Whalen (History)
Coastal Carolina University
Philip Whalen, Honors Program Director


Course Description: This is a writing intensive, humanities-based, team-taught, interdisciplinary course designed to investigate the territory between moral philosophy and developmental psychology. We will explore the theme of “The Seven Deadly Sins” in different cultural contexts and through different genres in order to better understand how past concerns inform present society. Students are expected to think creatively about the ideas and topics examined, interpret multiple forms of evidence primary drawn from different disciplines, recognize similar cultural patterns in different historical contexts, participate in class discussions, and demonstrate the ability to reason soundly and logically. (There will be three sections of 17 students)

Texts:
The “Seven Deadly Sins” course-pack is available electronically via Blackboard

Syllabus

Date Topic
22 Aug

Philip Whalen (History)
Introduction: Moral Philosophy Meets Social Psychology.
27 Aug Julinna Oxley (Philosophy)
Ethics and Virtue: What is a vice? Have read- Gabrielle Taylor, “Vices and Virtue- Theory” in Deadly Vices (selections).
Gluttony
29 Aug

Philip Whalen (History) - The Gastronomical Turn.
Readings - M.F.K. Fischer, “Define this Word” from The Gastronomical Me and Whalen, “Food Palaces Built of Sausages” from The Business of Tourism
3 Sept

LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

5 Sept

Dan Ennis (English) - The Rewards of Gluttony.
Readings - Satyricon Petronius’ “Dinner with Trimalchio” and Dante’s “The Hog Incident” from Inferno, ch. 5.
10 Sept

Jen Shinaburger (Technology Instruction) - Tablet PC Computer Instruction
(MEET in U-HALL Building).
12 Sept

Shannon Stewart (English) - From What to so What: How to Win Readers and Influence College Professors. Have read
Readings - Kimberly Wesley, “The Ill Effects of the Five Paragraph Essay.”
Pride
17 Sept

Nils Rauhut (Philosophy) - Christianity and the Greeks on Pride.
Readings - Aristotle (selections from the Nicomachean Ethics and Aristotle on Pride).
19 Sept

Eliza Glaze (History) - Medieval Synthesis of the Sins and Virtues.
Readings - von Hildegard von Bingen, The Play of the Virtues (selections).

24 Sept

Jaimi Graham (Library Instruction) - Online data research instruction (J-Stor, MUSE)
MEET IN LIBRARY
26 Sept

Philip Whalen (History) - Discussion of Pride.
Readings - Thomas Mann, Death in Venice, Introduction and chapters 1-3.
Envy
1 Oct

Gary Stegal (Music) - Envy and the Representation of Emotion in Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca”
3 Oct Margaret Fain (Library) - Art-Stor Library Instruction (MEET IN LIBRARY).
8 Oct

Cheryl-Green Munn (Art) - Representing Vice.
Readings - Matilde Battistini, “The Vices” from Symbols in Art and Anne D’Alleva, “Formal and Contextual Analysis,” Look! The Fundamentals of Art History, ch. 2.
10 Oct

Cynthia Port (English) Envy in Modern America.
Readings - Edith Wharton, “Roman Fever.”
Anger
15 Oct

Brian Nance (History) - The Renaissance Wellsprings of Vicious Humors.
Readings - Brian Nance, “Determining the Patient’s Temperament,” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 67 (Fall, 1993): 417-38 and selections from Andre DuLaurens, On Melancholy (1599).
17 Oct

Steve Earnest (Theater) The Dramaturgy of Vice. Have read-
Readings - Bertold Brecht’s “The Seven Deadly Sins of the Petty Bourgeoisie”
22 Oct

Ken Martin (Theater) Staging Anger across the Ages.
Readings - Euripides, Medea (selected passages).
24 Oct

Philip Whalen (History) Discussion. Have read-
Readings - Edgar Allan Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado” and W. H. Auden, “Anger” from Seven Deadly Sins
Greed
29 Oct

Jack Riley (Politics) - The Acquisitive Impulse: From John Locke to Bernard Mandeville.
Readings - “On Property” from Locke’s “Second Essay on Understanding.”
31 Oct

Dennis Earl (Philosophy) - Mall Wart.
Readings - Charles Fishman, “Salmon, Shirts, and the Meaning of Low Prices” from The Wall-Mart Effect.
5 Nov

Ron Green (Religion) - Greed and Violence in the Bodhisattva Ideal. Have read-
Readings - Ron Green, “Institutionalizing Buddhism for the Legitimization of State Power in East Asia,” Mediators 2007.
7 Nov Philip Whalen (History) - Greed in Modern Society.
Readings - D. H. Lawrence, “The Rocking-Horse Winner” and listened to Ira Glass, “This American Life” episode (#208) on Office Politics @: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=208
Lust
12 Nov

Maggie Ivanova (English) - Lusting after De Sade.
Readings - “Philosophy in the Bedroom” (selections).
14 Nov

Nils Rauhut (Philosophy) - Desire, Creativity and Self-Destruction.
Readings - Thomas Mann “A Death in Venice.”
26 Nov

Michael Ruse (Philosophy) - The Structuring of Desire.
Readings - Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from the Underground (ch. 1).
28 Nov Philip Whalen (History) - Desire’s Gender.
Readings - Listen to Ira Glass, “This American Life” episode (#220) on Testosterone @: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=220
and read “Desire” in Science Times 10 April 2007.
Sloth
3 Dec

Steve Hamelman (English) - Languor, Liquor and Disillusionment.
Readings - Ernest Hemmingway and “A Well-Lighted Place.”
5 Dec

Philip Whalen (History) - Sloth and “The Good Life.”
Readings - William Faulkner, “Dry September” and Evelyn Waugh, “Sloth” from Ian Fleming, Seven Deadly Sins.
10 Dec

Julinna Oxley (Philosophy) - Conclusion: Virtue, Vice or Something Else?
Readings - J. Kourany, “Sex-Role Socialization.”

Grading:
In additional to occasional dialogic reading exercises, students will write 4 (4-5-page) thesis-driven response essays directly related to the course readings and lectures. Students must hand in all assignments on the Monday following the last reading on a particular sin. Late essays will lose one half of a letter grade per day late. This will also apply to papers returned for not properly following the formatting instructions. Also, remember to put your name, course number, and section number on your work. You are responsible for the mechanical and organizational aspects of your essays.

A= This paper is insightful. It addresses the assignment in a way that indicates your comprehension of and control over the assignment itself as well as an understanding of the underlying issues. The message is communicated clearly, concisely, and directly. There is confidence in this writing.
B= This paper meets and, at times, exceeds the basic requirements of the assignment. The paper indicates that you are beginning, at times, to think through and deal with major ideas in the assignment. The message is communicated with generally effective clarity, directness, and conciseness. Some unevenness in writing may be apparent.
C= While the paper offers little insight into the greater issues of the assignment, it meets the basic requirements. The message, for the most part, is reasonably clear, concise, and direct, although there may be unevenness in the writing.
D= The basic requirements of the assignment are partially met; however, additional revision is necessary if you are to communicate the message clearly. There is considerable unevenness in the writing.
F= The assignment’s basic requirements are met only marginally or are not met at all. The writing is not clear, concise, or direct.

Contact person: Philip Whalen, philip_whalen@yahoo.com