Asia in European Mind

Fall 2021

Asia in the European Mind: Modern European Discourse on History and Identity

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Faculty

Trent E. Maxey (Section 01)

Description

From the late-eighteenth century onward European intellectuals frequently drew on images of Asia to illustrate what it meant to be modern, enlightened, and historically progressive. By critically tracing this intellectual genealogy we will together confront durable but controversial conceptions of human subjectivity, freedom, and historical progress, conceptions which we may find ourselves to be complicit in today. We will start with key figures in the intellectual tradition of modern Europe, including Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), Georg W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), Karl Marx (1818–1883), and Max Weber (1864–1920), but move on to consider how their thought echoes in Asian conversations about modernity. We will conclude with contemporary thinkers and their attempts to grapple with the tension between universal conceptions of human history and relativistic approaches.  

Offered Fall 2021. Professor Maxey.

Expectations

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: The seminar will focus on the related skills of close reading, engaged discussion, and critical writing. Reading prompts and short exercises will ask you to practice the reading skills required for active class discussion and effective writing. Students will produce 5 essays, conduct 2 mini-research exercises, and give one group presentation. Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the faculty member as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner.

Keywords

Attention to Research, Attention to Speaking, Writing Intensive

Course times and locations

FYSE 121 - L/D

Section 01
Tu 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM CONV 209
Th 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM CONV 209

Textbooks

Below are the textbooks used in this course, along with pricing information and availability at local bookstores. The price range shown is based upon queries to multiple online booksellers; click on the the price field to see detailed pricing information.

This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.

ISBN	Title	Publisher	Author(s)	Comment	Book Store	Price
9780198821076	Marx: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)	Oxford University Press	Singer, Peter		Amherst Books	From $9.51-$15.58
9780415254069	The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Routledge Classics)	Routledge	Max Weber		Amherst Books	From $4.58-$36.45
9780231150736	An Outline of a Theory of Civilization	Columbia University Press	Fukuzawa, Yukichi		Amherst Books	From $14.26-$49.32

These books are available locally at Amherst Books.

Offerings

2022-23: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2014, Fall 2019, Fall 2021