HISTORY V101
Section 002
Dr. Powers
Fall, 2008
COURSE OUTLINE
I.
HISTORY AND
HISTORIANS; CIVILIZATION AND THE WEST
A.
Major
Issues in History [See “History and
Historians” Power Point Outline]
1.
Objectivity
[See “Facts” Handout]
a)
To what
meaningful extent to historical facts exist apart from the work of historians?
b)
Do facts
add up to valid patterns and laws of history?
c)
Can history
be used to reveal or teach eternal moral values?
2.
Presentism
a)
Influence
of the present upon our view of the past
b)
Influence
of our view of the past upon our present
c)
The “Whig”
view of history and its critics
d)
The idea of
a “usable past.”
e)
[See Handout: Arthur Schlesinger, “Folly’s Antidote”]
f)
[See Handout: Herb & Jamal]
3.
Selection [See Kerber Handout]
a)
Who and
what is worth studying?
b)
Who gets to
decide who and what is worth studying?
c)
To what
extent are variant methodologies appropriate for studying non-traditional
people and things?
d)
To what
extent do inclusions of previously excluded people and issues threaten the
integrity of the study of history
e)
The
enduring power of the Homeric model
f)
Challenges
to the Homeric model
4.
Use and/or
Value
a)
Is history
of any real use?
b)
Does
history have any real value apart from usefulness?
c)
[See Handout: “Some Thoughts on History”]
5.
Some
continuing issues in history
B.
What is
“Western Civilization?”
1.
What makes
it “Civilization?”
a)
Some
definitions of “civilization”
b)
How
“Western” culture fits the definitions
c)
Note that
Western culture and values tend to define “civilization” in the first place
2.
What makes
it “Western?”
3.
The shifting
geographic focus of “Western Civilization”
4.
The concept
of “Western Civilization”
a)
The basic
story line
(1)
The source
and guardian of civilization
(2)
Defending
it against barbarian attack
b)
The context
of its creation in World War I
c)
The
applications of it in World War II and the Cold War
5.
Western
Civilization and the Homeric Model [See
Diane Ravitch, “Obstacles to Teaching History Today” handout]