Fall 1999
MWF 11:00 to 11:50 a.m. Griffin 7
David L. Smith, English and Steven B. Gerrard, Philosophy
BLINDING KNOWLEDGE: THE HUMANITIES RECONSIDERED
To know the truth, our tradition teaches, is the basis for freedom; and freedom is intrinsically a good, desirable thing. The benefits of knowledge seem obvious, yet the religious, philosophical, and political traditions of the West have been deeply preoccupied with its costs. The light of truth may blind the eyes.
This course will examine how the problem of knowledge has been addressed in some of the great works in the Western tradition. In particular, we will trace how the metaphors of light/darkness and master/slave have been used in philosophical and literary works concerned with knowledge, morality, and power. Beginning with the Bible and various mythological narratives, we will continue with Sophocles, Plato, Descartes, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Hume, Hegel, Shelley, Melville, Twain, Nietzsche, Freud, Du Bois, and Ellison. In addition we will explore films, works of art and music. For example, we will investigate the relationship between master and slave in Hegel’s Phenomenology, Shakespeare’s Tempest, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. We will then compare those works with Boris Karloff’s film version of Frankenstein. We will also study two works of the contemporary artists Tony Oursler: one at MASS MoCA and the other at the Williams College Museum of Art.
This course is an introduction to some of the crucial themes, techniques, methods, and attitudes of the humanities, and will provide a basis from which students can pursue the humanities at Williams.
David L. Smith
Offices: Dean of the Faculty’s Office, 3rd floor, Hopkins Hall and Stetson F-10
Office Phone: 597-4351
Office Hours: Mondays, 9-10 a.m. in Hopkins Hall, and by appointment
e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Steven B. Gerrard
Office: President’s office, 3rd floor Hopkins Hall
Office Phone: 597-4252
Office Hours: Mondays, 9:15-10:30, and by appointment
e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Teaching Assistant: Anselm T. McClain
Phone: x2607
Dorm: Chadbourne 8
e-mail: [email protected]
Readings: The following books should be purchased at Water Street Books:
Sophocles, Sophocles I: Three Tragedies
Descartes, Selected Philosophical Writings
Dostoevsky, Notes from the Underground
Shakespeare, The Tempest
Shelley, Frankenstein
Melville, Billy Budd and Other Tales
Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Twain, Life on the Mississippi
Ellison, The Invisible Man
A packet of readings should be purchased in Stetson B4 (the same level as the upper parking lot). The contents of the packet are:
Bible, Genesis 1-4
Edith Hamilton, Mythology, selections
Plato, the “Meno”
Plato, the “Republic”, selections from Books IV and VII
Montaigne, “Of Cannibals”, selections
Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, selections
W. E. B. Du Bois, “Of the Coming of John”
Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, selections
Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams and other selections from The Freud Reader
Two copies of the Labeltalk series, published by the Williams College Museum of Art, are on reserve in Sawyer Library.
Films: We will see five films in this class: Gospel at Colonus, Forbidden Planet, Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and Dr. Strangelove. The films will all be shown in the evening (the schedule is below). Popcorn will be provided. We recognize that sometimes people have other evening commitments, and all the films will also be available on reserve in Sawyer Library.
Class Listserver: Everyone should be enrolled in the class listserver: LIGHT-L. When you send an e-mail message to LIGHT-L it will be received by everyone in the class.
Assignments: There will be an assignment due each week, with the exception of Week Eleven (Thanksgiving). No late assignments can be accepted.
SCHEDULE
Overture: “Let there be light”
9/10 Introduction
Week One
9/13 Bible, Genesis 1-4 [in the packet]
Edith Hamilton, Mythology, selections [in the packet]
Plato, the “Meno” [in the packet]
9/15 “Meno”, continued
Plato, the “Republic”, selections [in the packet]
9/17 Plato, continued
A. Dark Places and the Natural Light of Reason
Week Two
9/20 No Class. Yom Kippur
9/21 Tuesday evening, 8:00, Gospel at Colonus
9/22 Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus [in Sophocles I]
9/24 Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy
Descartes, Discourse on the Method (for background reading)
Week Three
9/27 Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, continued
9/29 Field trip to MASS MoCA to see Optics by Tony Oursler
10/1 Descartes, Optics [in Selected Philosophical Writings]
Week Four
10/4 Introjection: Tony Oursler mid-career survey, 1976-1999
4:00 p.m. Discussion with Tony Oursler at the Williams College Museum of Art
10/6 Dostoevsky, Notes from Underground
10/8 Dostoevsky, continued
Week Five
10/11 Dostoevsky, continued
Mastery & Bondage
10/13 Hegel, selections from The Phenomenology of Spirit [in the packet]
10/15 Hegel, continued [Guest lecture by Mark Taylor (tentative)]
Week Six
10/18 No class Reading Period
10/20 Shakespeare, The Tempest
Montaigne, “Of Cannibals” [in the packet]
8:00 p.m.: Forbidden Planet
10/22 Shakespeare, continued…
Forbidden Planet
Week Seven
10/25 Shakespeare, continued
Forbidden Planet
10/27 Melville “Benito Cereno” [in Billy Budd and Other Tales]
10/29 Melville, continued
Du Bois “Of the Coming of John” [in the packet]
Week Eight
11/1 Melville and Du Bois, continued
11/3 Shelley, Frankenstein
11/4 Thursday evening, 8:00: Frankenstein
11/5 Shelley, continued
Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein
Guest Lecture by Shawn Rosenheim
Week Nine
11/8 Shelley and Frankenstein, continued
C. Knowledge, Desire and Limits
11/10 Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
11/11 Thursday evening, 8:00: Blade Runner
11/12 Hume, continued; Blade Runner
Week Ten
11/15 Hume and Blade Runner, continued
11/17 Twain, Life on the Mississippi, Chapters I- XXI (pp. 29-166)
11/19 Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams and other selections [in the packet]
(Guest Lecture: Susan Engel)
Week Eleven
11/22 Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, selections [in the packet]
Freud, continued
11/23 Tuesday evening, 8:00: Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and
Love the Bomb
11/24 Freud, Nietzsche and Dr. Strangelove, continued
11/26 No class Thanksgiving Holiday
Week Twelve
11/29 Ellison, Invisible Man
12/1 Ellison, continued
12/3 Ellison, continued
Week Thirteen
12/6 Ellison, continued
12/8 Last Day of Class: Enlightened Darkness?
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