LIBS 101 - THE HUMAN ENIGMA
Francisco Vazquez, Ph.D. Fall 1995
Hutchins School of Liberal Studies Carson 59 (664-3185)
Sonoma State University Hours: M, T 3:30-4:30
and by app.
We know what we do. We know why we do what we do.
But we don't know what our doing does.
--Michel Foucault
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is an exploration of the human enigma of which each one of us is an
example. Consequently, this course consists of constant reflection on, and
analysis of the social practices of our ancestors (what have they done,
what have they said) as well as the social practices in which we are currently
engaged. This journey will take us through diverse disciplines and cultures.
While the cadre has established a particular path, there are at least as
many ways to get there as there are students in the seminar.
CLASS FORMAT AND INTELLECTUAL LABOR
1. Attendance to all seminars is required. Notify me in advance if you must
miss a session (acceptable only due to verified illness or family emergency).
Six missed sessions lead to No Credit and dismissal from the Department.
2. For each seminar bring three essay questions that you would ask from
the day's reading(s) or description of the image(s) that are provoked by
the readings.
3. Each Friday turn in a 1-2-page, double-space printed/typed paper in which
you identify the kind of argument that is being presented and/or the kind
of image that is being created in your mind by that week's assigned readings.
(You will find Weston's chaps. II-V helpful for this.) Conclude your paper
by briefly stating what these arguments or images do to you.
4. Six Essays as assigned below. If you would like to do a short video instead
of one or more of these essays, check with the instructor. Though the essays
are somewhat defined, try to build them on your questions, papers and on
the learning experiences you have had (readings, conversations, seminars,
symposia, films, etc.). That is, I will be looking for your ability to try
to find correlations, similarities, and differences among the diverse sources
you encounter in this course.
5. Two Independent Studies: Social Services and Teaching About Ways of Seeing
the Human Enigma.
6. A Portfolio (a three ring binder or a pocket portfolio) will have the
following notes section: Reading Notes, Seminar Notes, Symposia, Field Trips,
Related Sources, Drafts, Final papers. You will turn it in for midterm and
final evaluations.
7.Writing Tutorials. On WF 11-12pm the class will divide into two groups
of 6 students. Group A will meet on Wednesdays in CH 59, while Group B meets
in a place of its choice. On Wednesdays Group B meets in CH 59 and Group
A meets in a place of its choice. STUDENTS WILL DISTRIBUTE COPIES OF THEIR
DRAFTS TO THEIR GROUP, PRIOR TO THE TUTORIAL SESSIONS. EACH DRAFT NEEDS
TO BE NUMBERED AND DATED. After the appropriate revisions, the final draft
is turned in to the instructor.
EVALUATION
LIBS 101 is graded Credit (CR), No Credit (NC), CR/Probation or CR/Terminal
Pass (Pass but must transfer to regular General Education courses). Two
CR/Probations = Terminal Pass.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Available from instructors: LIBS 101 READER, Malville, The Fermenting Universe
Available from Copperfield's Bookstore in Rohnert Park: (540 Raley Towne
Centre, 584-4240 ask for Beth )
Aeschylus, The Oresteia
Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem
Berger, Ways of Seeing
Briggs, Never in Anger
Camus, The Stranger
Descartes, Discourse on Method
Ferris, Coming of Age in the Milky Way
Genet,The Balcony
Homer, Odyssey (Fitzgerald trans.)
Plato, The Last Days of Socrates
Sacher-Masoch,Venus in Furs
Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
Stanisewski, Seeing is Believing
Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments
Wright, Native Son
SCHEDULE OF READING ASSIGNMENTS FOR SEMINAR DISCUSSION AND SYMPOSIA
(Make sure to also check Schedule of Writing Assignments Below, oh, and sorry about the alignment, html was a little twisted)
Wk Date Day
I 8/23 W Introduction to the Seminar Process
8/25 F Camus, The Stranger. Handout: "No Longer the
Stranger;" "Blasted Allegories"
II 8/28 M Descartes, Discourse on Method;
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. viii-11; 89-95
Symposium: Filmaker: Ken Raven: "Color Adjustment" or
Paradigms
8/30 W Briggs, Never in Anger, 1-175 and Appendix
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. 12-22
9/l F Briggs, Never in Anger, 175-307
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. 23-36.
III 9/4 M Holiday
9/6 W Berger, Ways of , 7-34; Reader:#3 The Illiterate Eye,
19 Allegory of the Cave
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. 37-45
9/8 F Berger, 83-155; Introduce Social Services Presentation
and Fair
Tentative: 11-12 computer lab
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. 46-59
IV 9/11 M Reader: # 4, 5, 6: Ecos A Photograph, Alone with MTV,
Beavis/Butt-head
Paper #1 due: Dialogue between Camus and
Descartes
Symposium Mutombo Mpanya: Images and Racism
9/13 W Homer, The Odyssey, Books I-8; Assign "Ways of
Seeing" Project
9/15 F Homer continued. Books 9-16; tentative: 11-12
computer lab
V 9/18 M Homer completed. Books 17-24; Reader nos. 1 Reading
Film (part 1); 2 Barthes
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. 60-65
Symposium Reading Film: Fahrenheit 451 or Filmaker
Trinsh Min-ha
9/20 W Reader: #7, Video Nights...
9/22 F Aeschylus, "Agamemnon" and "Libation Bearers" in the
Oresteia
VI 9/25 M Aeschylus, "The Eumenides;" Reader # 8 Ethnos to
Polis
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. 66-71
Symposium Field trip to Santa Rosa County Court
(Business dress: no shorts or halter tops)
9/27 W Reader: #9 "Traffic in Women"
9/29 F Reader: # 9 (cont); 10 "Trifles"
VII 10/2 M Reader: # 12 "Sisters Under the Skin," and 15 "Women
Morally Superior?"
Paper # 2 due: The Realities of Image Construction.
Symposium Access Game
10/4 W Berger, 45-81
10/6 F Reader: # 16, "The Ethics of Care"
VII 10/9 M Reader: # 17, "Aztec Thought and Culture"
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. 72-79
Symposium San Francisco Mission District Murals
10/11 W Ferris, Coming of Age, 413-427; chps. 1-5
10/13 F Ferris, chps. 6-9
IX 10/16 M Reader # 18 "Real Patriots Ask Questions"
Malville, The Fermenting Universe, chps. 1-6
A Rulebook for Arguments, pp. 80-88
Symposium Science Lab: Game Theory
10/18 W Malville, The Fermenting Universe, chps. 7-12
10/20 F Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
X 10/23 M Sophocles, Antigone
Symposium Reading Film: Blade Runner; Reader # 1
Reading Film (part 2)
10/25 W Reader #20, "The Sheriffs Ex-Con" and "Beyond Blade
Runner"
10/27 F Plato, "The Apology" and "The Crito" in The Death of
Socrates
XI 10/30 M Goldsmith, The Biological Roots... chps. 1-3
Paper # 3 due: Shifts in scientific world view and
changes in societys notion of "reality."
Symposium Science Lab
11/l W Goldsmith, chps. 4-7
11/3 F Goldsmith, chps. 8-10
XII 11/6 M Wright, Native Son (first half)
Symposium Film: Twelve Angry Men
11/8 W Wright (second half)
11/10 F Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem, Note to the Reader,
chps. I, II, III, VI, VII
XIII 11/13 M Arendt, chps. X, XI, XIV, XV, Epilogue, Postscript
Symposium: 1-2:30: Seminars on Reader: Cortes
"Backing into the Future" "Racism 101"
2:30- 3:30: Discussion by Francisco Vázquez
11/15 W Reader: "Multi-Cultural Riots," "Beyond Images,"
"Hispanic Portfolio and Addendum "
11/17 F Reader # 14: Foucault, "Subject and Power"
XIV 11/20 M Presentations of Social Service Independent Project
Paper # 4 due: Interview Essay
Symposium Social Services Fair
11/22 and 11/24 Holiday
XV 11/27 M Stanisewski, Seeing is Believing, chps. 1-5
Symposium Jeannine Thompson "Installation and
Performance. Art in Unexpected Shapes and Places"
11/29 W Stanisewski, Seeing is Believing, chps. 6-10
12/l F Field trip to the S. F. Museum of Modern Art
XVI 12/4 M Project Presentation: Ways of Seeing
Paper # 5 due: Ways of Explaining the Human Enigma
Symposium Project Presentation continued
12/6 W Genet, The Balcony
12/8 F Reader: Sacher-Masoch, Venus in Furs
12/11 Paper # 6 due: Reflections on Portfolio
SCHEDULE OF WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Wk/Mo/Day Revision Due
I 8/23 W Introductions; Group Assignments
8/25 F Discussion of writing, discourse and power
II 8/30 W Group A (1,2,3) Dialogue Draft 9/6
9/l F Group B (1,2,3) " 9/8
III 9/6 W Group A (4,5,6) " 9/13
9/8 F Group B (4,5,6) " 9/15
IV 9/11 M Paper #1 due: Dialogue between Camus and Descartes
9/13 W Group A (1, 2, 3) 9/20
9/15 F Group B (1, 2, 3) 9/22
V 9/20 W Group A (4,5,6) 9/27
9/22 F Group B (4,5,6) 9/29
VI 9/27 W Group A (1, 2, 3) 10/4
9/29 F Group B (1, 2, 3) 10/6
VII 10/2 Paper # 2 due: The Realities of Image Construction
10/4 W Group A (4,5,6) 10/11
10/6 F Group B (4,5,6) 10/13
VII 10/11 W Group A (1, 2, 3) 10/18
10/13 F Group B (1, 2, 3) 10/20
IX 10/18 W Group A (4,5,6) 10/25
10/20 F Group B (4,5,6) 10/27
X 10/25 W Group A (1, 2, 3) 11/l
10/27 F Group B (1, 2, 3) 11/3
XI 10/30 M Paper # 3 due: Shifts in scientific world view
and changes in societys notion of "reality."
11/l W Group A (4,5,6) 11/8
11/3 F Group B (4,5,6) 11/10
XII
11/8 W Group A (1, 2, 3) 11/15
11/10 F Group B (1, 2, 3) 11/17
XIII
11/15 W Group A (4,5,6) 11/20
11/17 F Group B (4,5,6) 11/20
11/20 M Paper # 4 due: Interview Essay
XV 11/29 W Group A (1, 2, 3) 12/4
12/l F Group B (1, 2, 3) 12/4
12/4 Paper # 5 due: Ways of Explaining the Human Enigma
XVI 12/6 W Group A (4,5,6) 12/11
12/8 F Group B (4,5,6) 12/11
12/11 Paper # 6 due: Reflections on Portfolio
HUTCHINS SCHOOL OF LIBERAL STUDIES
Sonoma State University
STUDENT EVALUATION
Student: Instructor: F.H. Vazquez
Semester: Fall 1995 Grade:
Course: LIBS 101 THE HUMAN ENIGMA
Evaluation scale: 10 Excellent; 8-9 Good; 6-7 Satisfactory; 4-5 Needs Improvement;
0-3 Inadequate.
I. Seminar Participation |Mid|Final
A. Skills
1. Ability to raise questions
2. Clarity of expression
3. Cogency of remarks
4. Listening skills; ability to
build on remarks of others
5. Ability to synthesize information
6. Critical and Analytical Skills
7. Independent/creative thinking
B. Facilitation of Seminar Process
1. Quality of preparation for seminar
2. Respect for other points of view
3. Interaction with others which
fosters learning
4. Appropriate level of participation
5. Relevance of Contributions
6. Consistency of effort
7. Attendance and punctuality
II. Writing Skills
A. Content
1. Quality of ideas and concepts
2. Depth of analysis and development
3. Focus
B. Structure
C. Style
D. Mechanics
III. General
A. Understanding of course content
B. Time management
IV. Independent Project-Social Service
Independent Project-Ways of Seeing
Instructor's Comments: