Great Books/Liberal Studies

Director

Michael Driedger

Associate Professor

Michael Driedger

Assistant Professor

Natalie Alvarez, Linda Steer

Participating Faculty

Michael Berman (Philosophy), Leah Bradshaw (Political Science), Rohit Dalvi (Philosophy), Corrado J.A. Federici (Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures), Renée Lafferty (Canadian Studies and History), Peter Landey (Music), Ingrid Makus (Political Science), William Mathie (Political Science), Francine McCarthy (Earth Sciences), Thomas M. Mulligan (Management, Marketing and Human Resources)

General Information

Administrative Assistant

Sylvia Barlow

905-688-5550, extension 4752

573 Glenridge 213

http://www.brocku.ca/greatbooks

The Centre for Great Books/Liberal Studies provides an opportunity for the exploration and discussion of those questions which arise when education is directed towards the freedom of the fully examined life.

Questions of human nature and purpose and of our relationship to the natural order, for example, are examined primarily through analysis and discussion of the great works of human reason and imagination.

The program seeks to develop the skills and habits of inquiry, analysis, argument and expression needed for a rigorous treatment of these questions.

The program is made up of a set of closely related core courses that are intended to provide an integrated liberal education, to be cumulative and to furnish the basis for an intellectual community of students and faculty. The Great Books/Liberal Studies Program must be either combined with a major in another discipline or taken as a minor. Students combining Great Books/Liberal Studies with a major concentration in Mathematics or Science will usually be exempted from the Science context requirement.

The focus of the program is the Great Books core seminars (GBLS 1F93, 1P90, 2P70, 2P94, 3P90, 3P93 and 4P10. Leaders for this seminar are drawn from a variety of disciplines and faculties of the University.

The other courses in the Great Books/Liberal Studies Program are intended both to provide for a kind of learning not possible in the seminar itself and also to enhance the quality and rigour of the inquiry and discussion that the seminar is intended to engender.

Each student in the program is assigned a faculty adviser for regular and incidental consultation. Students in year 4 are required to prepare a major essay on some aspect of Great Books/Liberal Studies, relating it to work in their other major, under the guidance of a faculty member.

A non-credit series of lectures supplements the Great Books/Liberal Studies Program. The lectures will illuminate the works and issues addressed in the program from a variety of perspectives. Students also attend concerts, art exhibitions and dramatic productions. Students are expected to attend the lectures and cultural events, since these constitute an integral part of the Great Books/Liberal Studies Program.

Great Books Seminars

The Great Books Seminars (GBLS 1F93, 1P90, 2P70, 2P94, 3P90, 3P93, 4P10) are open to all students, but students majoring in and those taking a minor in Great Books/Liberal Studies will have first access. Students who complete GBLS 1P90, 2P94, 3P90, 4P10, and two credits from GBLS 1P93, 2P70, 2P91, 2P99, 3P00, 4P01-4P07, 4V00-4V09 are deemed to have satisfied the Social Science context requirement.

Language Requirement for Humanities Majors

Students in the Centre for Great Books/Liberal Studies are required to complete one credit in a language other than English. Students completing the program to earn the Bachelor of Science degree are not required to do so but it is strongly recommended. Where half credit courses are used to satisfy this requirement, both half credits must be in the same language. Greek or Latin recommended.

Program Notes

Bachelor of Arts in Great Books/Liberal Studies

Honours

Students may take a combined major in Great Books/Liberal Studies and a second discipline. For requirements in the other discipline, the student should consult the relevant department/centre. It should be noted that not all departments/centres provide a combined major option.

	GBLS 1F93, 1P90, 2P91, 2P94, 3P90, 4P10 and 4P99
	two credits from GBLS 1P93, 2F80, 2F94, 2P20, 2P60, 2P70, 2Q98, 3F01, 3P60, 3P93, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P40, 4P70
	one credit from GBLS 1Q98 and 1Q99, 2F80, 2F94, 2P20, 2P70, 2P80, 2P81, 2P82, 2P83, 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3F01, 3P00, 3P93, 3P95, 3P99, 4P01, 4P02, 4P04, 4P06, 4P40, 4P70, 4V00-4V09, 4V70-4V79
	one language credit (see language requirement)
	one Science context credit (SCIE 1P50 and 1P51 recommended)

Great Books/Liberal Studies and Business (Honours only)

In co-operation with the Faculty of Business, the Centre for Great Books/Liberal Studies offers a combined major leading to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Great Books/Liberal Studies and Business. This program is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge demanded for successful leadership in business and a critical understanding of the intellectual forces that have shaped and still shape the world within which that leadership must be exercised. The program is intended for students with career interests involving business leadership and policy making, lifelong learning, social issue management or the management of creative organizations.

Year 1

	GBLS 1F93 and 1P90
	ACTG 1P91
	ECON 1P91 and 1P92
	MGMT 1P93
	MATH 1P98
	one language credit (see language requirement) or one Science context credit

Year 2

	GBLS 2P94
	one credit from GBLS 2P20, 2P70, 2P80, 2P81, 2P82, 2P83, 2P91, 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3P00
	ACTG 2P12
	ECON 2P91
	FNCE 2P91
	MKTG 2P91
	OBHR 2P91
	the language credit or Science context credit not taken in year 1

Year 3

	GBLS 3P90 and 4P10
	one and one-half GBLS credits numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	FNCE 3P93
	MKTG 3P24
	OBHR 3P42
	OPER 2P91
	one-half elective credit

Year 4

	GBLS 4P99
	one GBLS credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	MGMT 4P90
	two and one-half credits from ACTG, ENTR, FNCE, ITIS, MGMT, MKTG, OBHR, OPER (see program note 3)
	one-half elective credit

Great Books/Liberal Studies and History (Honours only)

In co-operation with the Department of History, the Centre for Great Books/Liberal Studies offers a combined major program in Great Books/Liberal Studies and History, especially for students wishing to combine a study of change over time focusing on the literary and cultural achievements of the past. A variety of combinations are possible; the following program is suggested for students interested in cultural history.

	GBLS 1F93, 1P90, 2P94, 3P90, 4P10 and 4P99 (see program note 2)
	one credit from GBLS 1P93, 2P20, 2P70, 3P93, 3P99, 3V90-3V99
	two and one-half credits from GBLS 1Q98 and 1Q99, 2P60, 2P70, 2P91, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3F01, 3P00, 3P60, 3P93, 3P95, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P01, 4P02, 4P04, 4P06, 4P40, 4P70, 4V00-4V09, 4V70-4V79
	one of HIST 1F95, 1F96, HIST 1P98 and 1P99
	HIST 2P99, 3P00 and 4F99
	three HIST credits
	one HIST credit numbered 4V00-4V69
	FREN 1F90 or one language credit (see language requirement)
	one Science context credit (SCIE 1F30 recommended)
	four elective credits

Great Books/Liberal Studies and Music (Honours only)

In co-operation with the Department of Music, the Centre for Great Books/Liberal Studies offers a combined major program in Great Books/Liberal Studies and Music. This program is designed especially for students interested in the interdisciplinary study of music; students will have the opportunity to consider music within the context of the great philosophical, literary and scientific works of our cultural tradition.

	GBLS 1F93, 1P90, 2P94, 3P90, 4P10 and 4P99 (see program note 2)
	one credit from GBLS 1P93, 2P20, 2P70, 3P93, 3P99, 3V90-3V99
	two and one-half credits from GBLS 1Q98 and 1Q99, 2P20, 2P60, 2P70, 2P80, 2P81, 2P82, 2P83, 2P91, 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3F01, 3P00, 3P60, 3P93, 3P95, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P01, 4P02, 4P04, 4P06, 4P40, 4P70, 4V00-4V09, 4V70-4V79
	MUSI 1F50, 1F90, 1P83, 2F90, 2P83, 2Y05, 2Y06, 3Y05 and 3Y06
	one credit from MUSI 3P91, 3P96, 3P97, 3P98, 3P99, 4P50, 4P51
	two MUSI credits
	one language credit (see language requirement)
	one Science context credit
	three elective credits

Great Books/Liberal Studies and Political Science (Honours only)

In co-operation with the Department of Political Science, the Great Books/Liberal Studies Program offers a combined major program in Great Books/Liberal Studies and Political Science. The Honours program is designed to furnish a liberal education especially for students with an interest in political philosophy, Canadian politics and law.

Year 1

	GBLS 1F93 and 1P90
	one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 (POLI 1P91 recommended)
	FREN 1F90 or one language credit (see language requirement)
	one-half elective credit
	one Science context credit

Year 2

	One of GBLS 2P20, 2P70, 2P80, 2P81, 2P82, 2P83, 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3P00, 3P93, 3P95
	GBLS 2P91 and 2P94
	POLI 2F12, 2P80 and 2P92
	one POLI credit
	one-half elective credit

Year 3

One credit from GBLS 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3F01, 3P00, 3P93, 3P95, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P01, 4P02, 4P03, 4P04, 4P05, 4P06, 4P07, 4P40, 4P70, 4V00-4V09, 4V70-4V79

	GBLS 3P90 and 4P10
	POLI 3P18
	POLI 3P91 or 3P92
	one of POLI 2P93, 3P04, 3P07, 3P71
	one-half POLI credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one elective credit

Year 4

	GBLS 4P99 (see program note 2)
	one credit from GBLS 3P93, 3P95, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P01, 4P02, 4P03, 4P04, 4P05, 4P06, 4P07, 4P70, 4V00-4V09, 4P40, 4V70-4V79
	POLI 4P14 or 4P19
	one credit from POLI 4P01 (recommended), 4P02, 4P03, 4P04, 4P05, 4P06, 4P07, 4V00-4V09
	two elective credits

Pass Program

Bachelor of Science in Great Books/Liberal Studies

Great Books/Liberal Studies can be combined with a concentration in Mathematics or Science. Students interested in this combination should consult the Director concerning their program and course selection.

Students who complete the combined Honours program in Great Books/Liberal Studies and Physics may earn the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree depending upon whether the majority of their credits are in the Faculty of Mathematics and Science or the Faculty of Humanities. Students completing the program for the BA degree are deemed Humanities majors and are required to complete the language requirement as described above. Students completing the program to earn the BSc degree are not required to do so but it is strongly recommended. Context requirements for Great Books/Liberal Studies majors are deemed satisfied by successful completion of the program.

Great Books/Liberal Studies and Physics (Honours only)

In co-operation with the Department of Physics, the Centre for Great Books/Liberal Studies offers a combined major program in Great Books/Liberal Studies and Physics. The Program will be of interest to students wanting to understand the most important ideas in the physical sciences within the context furnished through the reading and discussion of the major works of reason and imagination that have animated our cultural tradition. The program is flexible enough to accommodate students with varying interests.

Year 1

	GBLS 1F93 and 1P90
	MATH 1P01 and 1P02, or MATH 1P05 and 1P06 (recommended)
	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91
	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92, 1P93
	one and one-half elective credits (see program note 4)

Year 2

	GBLS 2P94
	one and one-half credits from GBLS 1F98, 2P20, 2P70, 2P80, 2P81, 2P82, 2P83, 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3P00
	MATH 2F05
	one credit from PHYS 2P20, 2P31, 2P50 (recommended), 2P51
	one elective credit

Year 3

	PHYS 3P90 (see program note 5)
	one of GBLS 2P91, 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3F01, 3P00, 3P95, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P01, 4P02, 4P04, 4P06, 4V00-4V09, 4V70-4V79
	one credit from GBLS 3P90, 3P93, 4P10, 4P70
	two credits from PHYS 3P35, 3P36, 3P41, 3P70, 3P91
	one elective credit (see program note 6)

Year 4

	GBLS 4P99
	one and one-half credits from GBLS 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3P00, 3P95, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P01, 4P02, 4P03, 4P04, 4P05, 4P06, 4P07, 4P40, 4P70, 4V00-4V09, 4V70-4V79
	one credit from GBLS 3P90, 3P93, 4P10, 4P70 (not taken in year 3)
	one credit from PHYS 4F90, 4P30, 4P41, 4P51, 4P52, 4P61, 4P70, 4P94
	one elective credit (see program note 7)

Certificate Program

The Centre for Great Books/Liberal Studies also offers a Certificate in Great Books/Liberal Studies. It provides an overview for persons who may be interested in taking an integrated set of courses exploring several major scientific, philosophic and literary works but already have a degree in a different field or who do not wish to proceed to a degree. The admission requirements are the same as for the degree program. Prospective students should consult with the Director before beginning the certificate program.

The Certificate is awarded upon completion of the following courses with a minimum overall average of 60 percent:

	GBLS 1F93, 1P90, 2P94, 3P90 and 4P10
	two credits from GBLS 1P93, GBLS 1Q98 and 1Q99, 2F80, 2F94, 2P20, 2P70, 2P80, 2P81, 2P82, 2P83, 2P91, 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3F01, 3P00, 3P93, 3P95, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P02, 4P03, 4P04, 4P05, 4P06, 4P07, 4P40, 4P70, 4V70-4V79

See "Certificate Requirements" under Academic Regulations.

Minor in Great Books/Liberal Studies

Students in other disciplines can obtain a minor in Great Books/Liberal Studies within their degree program by successfully completing the following courses listed below with a minimum 60 percent overall average:

	GBLS 1F93, 1P90, 2P94, 3P90 and 4P10
	two GBLS credits from 1P93, GBLS 1Q98 and 1Q99, 2F80, 2F94, 2P20, 2P70, 2P80, 2P81, 2P82, 2P83, 2P91, 2P99, 2Q90, 2Q91, 2Q98, 3F01, 3P00, 3P93, 3P95, 3P99, 3V90-3V99, 4P01, 4P02, 4P03, 4P04, 4P05, 4P06, 4P07, 4P40, 4P70, 4V70-4V79

Description of Courses

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

# Indicates a cross listed course

* Indicates a primary offering of a cross listed course

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.

GBLS 1F93

Order and Chaos in the Cosmos

Important works of science, philosophy, literature and art addressing the origin and structure of the universe and its association with the divine. Readings include selections from the Bible, Lucretius, Plato, Aristotle, Copernicus, Galileo, Milton, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, Dawkins and Hawking.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS 2P93.

GBLS 1P90

Tradedy in Art, Literature and Philosophy

Introduction to liberal studies focussed on the theme of tragedy in works ranging from ancient Greek Dramas, political thought and literary theory to modern classics of literature, art and social science.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

GBLS 1P93

Great Books World Tour

Selections from the masterworks of world literature and thought, examining human nature from earliest times to the 20th century. Texts include selections from the Gilgamesh epic (perhaps the first written story), Plato, Confucius, Lady Murasaki's Tale of Genji (perhaps the first novel), Jonathan Swift, The 1001 Nights, Mao Zedong, Martin Luther King, Jr., Leacock, and short works by many Nobel Prize winners.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

#GBLS 1Q98

Introduction to Visual Culture

(also offered as IASC 1Q98 and VISA 1Q98)

Concepts of art, its vocabulary, structure and varied cultural contexts. Problems of meaning, visual perception and formal structure of the visual arts, functions of art in contemporary society, the function of galleries and museums, and the role of patrons and critics. Contemporary critical methodology.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours week.

Note: no studio work. Materials fee required. Students must take GBLS 1Q98 and 1Q99 to replace previous earned credit in GBLS 1F98.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS (VISA) 1F98.

#GBLS 1Q99

Introduction to the History of Western Art

(also offered as IASC 1Q99 and VISA 1Q99)

Analysis of key monuments and on the prerequisite technology, as well as on various ways of looking at the visual past and present. Focus on the visual arts from prehistory through the early 20th century.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours week.

Prerequisite: GBLS 1Q98 or permission of the instructor.

Note: no studio work. Materials fee required. Students must take GBLS 1Q98 and 1Q99 to replace previous earned credit in GBLS 1F98.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS (VISA) 1F98.

#GBLS 2F80

History of Science

(also offered as HIST 2F80)

Activities of scientists and engineers from the ancient world to the present.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to HIST (single or combined), HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior), GBLS majors and minors until date specified in Registration guide.

#GBLS 2F94

Theatre as Cultural Practice I

(also offered as DART 2F94)

Integrated study of theatre history, theory and dramatic literature from its origins to the advent of realism in the 20th century, concentrating on the context of cultural developments, including theories of acting, dramatic criticism and theatre historiography.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one of DART 1F93, one ENGL credit numbered 1(alpha)90-1(alpha)99, one GBLS credit numbered 1(alpha)90-1(alpha)99.

Note: students with credit in IASC 1F00 may be able to register. Contact the instructor.

#GBLS 2P20

Abrahamic Religious Thought

(also offered as PHIL 2P20)

Roots of the monotheisms of Judaism, Christianity and Islam: Who and what is God? What is our relationship to God? What are the ethical bases of religion? What is the nature of faith?

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: PHIL 1F90, 1F91, 1F92, 1F93 or 1F94.

GBLS 2P60

Art I: What is Art

Theories and debates in philosophy, literature, and dramatic criticism on the nature, function, and role of the arts (dramatic, musical, poetic, and visual) in society from the ancients to the 20th century.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

GBLS 2P70

Religions of the World

Development and character of major religious traditions and worldviews.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

#GBLS 2P80

Shakespeare 1590-1603

(also offered as ENGL 2P80)

Representative plays from the first half of Shakespeare's dramatic career emphasizing theoretical and cultural issues raised by the plays in the context of fin-de-siècle Elizabethan England.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: GBLS 1F90, one ENGL credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS (ENGL) 2F97 and 2Q92.

#GBLS 2P81

Shakespeare 1603-1614

(also offered as ENGL 2P81)

Representative plays from the second half of Shakespeare's dramatic career emphasizing theoretical and cultural issues raised by the plays in the context of the opening decade of James I's culturally divisive reign.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: GBLS 1F90, one ENGL credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS (ENGL) 2F97 and 2Q93.

#GBLS 2P82

Shakespeare's Comedies

(also offered as ENGL 2P82)

Representative comedies and tragicomedies emphasizing the variety of Shakespeare's comic modes, from the grotesque to the miraculous, and on theoretical approaches to the comic.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: GBLS 1F90, one ENGL credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS (ENGL) 2F97 and 2Q94.

#GBLS 2P83

Shakespeare's Tragedies

(also offered as ENGL 2P83)

Shakespeare's development of tragedy as a genre in the context of early modern aesthetic and cultural concerns. Attention to recent theoretical approaches.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: GBLS 1F90, one ENGL credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS (ENGL) 2F97 and 2Q95.

#GBLS 2P91

Political Theory I

(also offered as POLI 2P91)

Socratic origins of political philosophy as understood by Plato and Aristotle. May include their Christian, Jewish Islamic successors and Machiavelli's critique.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: GBLS 1F90, or one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99.

Note: strongly recommended that students have taken POLI 2P92.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in POLI 2F90.

GBLS 2P94

Great Books Seminar II - Epics and Ethics: Journeys of Self-Discovery

Works of art, literature, biography, autobiography, philosophy and theology from the classical period to the late 16th century concerned with concepts of responsibility to self and to society. Readings include Augustine, Dante, Machiavelli, Vasari and Marlowe.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: GBLS 1F90 or permission of the Director.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS 2F90.

#GBLS 2P99

Ideas and Culture before 1850

(also offered as HIST 2P99)

Major developments in European intellectual and cultural life, such as the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and the emergence of modern ideologies.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS, HIST (single or combined) and HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors and minors until date specified in Registration guide.

#GBLS 2Q90

Art in Revolution: The Rise of Modernism

(also offered as INTC 2P90 and VISA 2P90)

Role and function of art within the paradigm shifts of the modern world, its relation to politics, social, cultural and technological change. Principal movements with origins in the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution; Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism and Postimpressionism.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: INTC (INTL) 1F90, VISA 1Q98 (minimum 60 percent) and 1Q99 (minimum 60 percent) (1F98) or permission of the instructor.

#GBLS 2Q98

The Artistic Experience

(also offered as PHIL 2Q98 and VISA 2Q98)

Classical theories of art through analysis of painting, photography, video, film, music, and drama examining such concepts as beauty, creativity, artistic intention, perception, interpretation and the nature and possible role of art.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one PHIL credit or VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 (1F98) or permission of the instructor.

#GBLS 3F01

The Ancient Epic Tradition

(also offered as CLAS 3F01)

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica, Vergil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses. Topics include the conventions of epic, the original oral transmission of heroic verse and its transformation into a written genre, concepts of heroic conduct and character.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one ENGL or GBLS credit, or one credit from CLAS 1P91, 1P92, 1P95, 1P97, 2F05.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in CLAS 3P00.

#GBLS 3P00

Ideas and Culture since 1850

(also offered as HIST 3P00)

Intellectual and cultural developments in Europe and America during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS, HIST (single or combined) and HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors and minors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisites: one HIST credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 and one HIST credit numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

GBLS 3P60

Art II: Counter-Traditions and the Contemporary World

Reactions against tradition in modern and postmodern art, literature, philosophy, and critical theory, offering students the opportunity to re-imagine artistic and literary classics.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

*GBLS 3P90

Great Books Seminar III: Science, Politics and Philosophy

(also offered as POLI 3P90)

Philosophic founding of modernity as a political and scientific project in selected works including Machiavelli's Discourses, Bacon's New Organon, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Descartes' Discourse on Method, Hobbes's Leviathan, Milton's Paradise Lost, Rousseau's Discourse on the Arts and Sciences and Smith's Wealth of Nations.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

GBLS 3P93

Origins of Life

Important works of science, art, literature, philosophy addressing the origin of life and the nature of our species' relationship with our planet. Readings include selections from the Bible, Aristotle, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Mary Shelley, Charles Darwin, Aldous Huxley, Stephen Jay Gould, E. O. Wilson, and Richard Dawkins.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: consult the instructor regarding permission to register.

#GBLS 3P94

Literary Criticism

(also offered as ENGL 3P94)

Literary criticisms from Aristotle to Brooks and Leavis emphasizing enduring literary critical problems.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisites: two ENGL credits numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in GBLS (ENGL) 3F93.

#GBLS 3P95

Aesthetics of Music

(also offered as MUSI 3P95)

Issues of meaning, beauty, value, and greatness in music through analysis of selected readings from Aristoxenus to the present.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: permission of the instructor.

Prerequisites: MUSI 1F50; MUSI 2F90 or GBLS 2P94.

#GBLS 3P99

Modern Narratives: Expressionism and Surrealism

(also offered as MLLC 3P99)

French, German, Italian and Hispanic writing dealing with Expressionist and Surrealist concerns such as revolt, emotion, dream and unconscious.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one of FREN 2F03, GERM 2F00 (2F90), ITAL 2F00, SPAN 2P19 (2P21) and 2P20 or permission of the instructor.

Note: given in English. May be counted as part of a major program in French, Italian or Spanish.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in MLLC 3P93.

GBLS 3V90-3V99

Special Topics in Great Books/Liberal Studies

Selected topics in Western or non-Western works of art, literature, philosophy, history, science and/or theology.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

GBLS 3V95

2008-2009: Forbidden Knowledge, Dangerous Art

Important works of art, literature, philosophy and science that were banned for religious, moral or political reasons.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

#GBLS 4P01

The Philosophy of Law

(also offered as POLI 4P01)

Traditional and contemporary accounts of law and their implications for issues of contemporary concern.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS and POLS (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

#GBLS 4P02

Ancient Political Theory

(also offered as POLI 4P02)

Premodern political philosophy examined in the works of Plato and Aristotle, emphasizing those features distinguishing ancient political science and philosophy from that of modernity.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS and POLS (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

#GBLS 4P03

Modern Political Theory

(also offered as POLI 4P03)

Modern political theory examined in selected texts. Topics may include historicism, consent, progress, equality or a selected author such as Rousseau, Kant, Hegel.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS and POLI (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

#GBLS 4P04

Politics and Tyranny

(also offered as POLI 4P04)

Comparative accounts of ancient and modern tyranny examined in light of the question: has political domination varied significantly in the Western tradition.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS and POLS (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

#GBLS 4P05

Shakespeare's Politics

(also offered as POLI 4P05)

Issues of justice; politics, law and morality; republican, monarchical and tyrannical government as explored in selected Shakespearean comedies, tragedies and histories.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS, INPE and POLI (single or combined) majors until date specified in the Registration guide. After that date open to ECUL, ENGL (single or combined) and HIST (single or combined) majors. Students must have either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

#GBLS 4P06

Philosophy, Politics and the Family

(also offered as POLI 4P06)

Family relations and their significance for the political community as both have been treated by ancient and modern political philosophers and by contemporary feminists and their critics.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisites: POLI 2P91; POLI 2P92 or 2P93 or permission of the instructor.

#GBLS 4P07

Postmodern Political Theory

(also offered as POLI 4P07)

Perspectives on the postmodern condition in the works of selected 20th-century thinkers. Topics may include notions on the self; aesthetics and politics; reason and power; the construction of meaning.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS and POLI (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

#GBLS 4P09

Faith, Philosophy, and Politics

(also offered as POLI 4P09)

Examination of challenges based upon revelation to the sufficiency of unassisted human reason as a guide to human political action.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS and to POLS (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

GBLS 4P10

Great Books Seminar IV: Modernity

Important works of art, literature, philosophy, science and theology from the 19th and 20th centuries that address such questions as: What does it mean to be modern Is modernity to be greeted or opposed.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

GBLS 4P40

Practicum in Great Books/Liberal Studies

Independent study combined with teaching responsibility in Great Books Seminar I.

Restriction: permission of the Director.

Note: each participant will team teach for four weeks with a senior faculty member and complete a written assignment reflecting on the best pedagogical approach to the texts read, suggesting alterations and/or innovations which might enhance the learning process. Post-class discussion and analysis are central to the course. Enrolment by Application to the Director.

GBLS 4P70

Apocalypse in Literature, Art and Music

Fear and hope in the coming end of time, as portrayed by artists, writers and musicians. Focus on the long Judeo-Christian apocalyptic tradition.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

GBLS 4P99

Senior Essay and Workshop

Discussion of Great Books/Liberal Studies and issues related to the preparation of a senior essay.

Seminar, tutorial, two terms.

#GBLS 4V00-4V09

Selected Problems in Political Theory

(also offered as POLI 4V00-4V09)

Particular writer, work or theoretical problem in political philosophy examined.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS and POLS (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

#GBLS 4V08

2008-2009: Technology and Modernity

(also offered as POLI 4V08)

How technology may alter our ways of understanding and organizing political community. Readings include ancient and modern texts focusing on the relationship between knowledge and fabrication, ideas of progress and political responsibility. Authors include Aristotle, Heidegger, Hannah Arendt and George Grant.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS (single or combined) and POLS majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or admission to year 4 (honours).

GBLS 4V70-4V79

Text and Context

Topics in Literature and Intellectual History.

*GBLS 4V71

2008-2009: The Modern City as a Cultural Object

(also offered as HIST 4V71 and VISA 4V71)

The city as the site of modernity in literature, poetry, philosophy, social science, music, technology, architecture, art and other forms of visual culture, focusing on Paris from 1839-1939. Other cities to be considered include Berlin, London, New York and Vienna.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to GBLS and VISA (single and combined) majors with a minimum of 10.0 overall credits, and to HIST (single or combined) and HIST (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors with approval to year 4 (honours) until date specified in the Registration guide and then open to other students.