Courses of Note

Friday, September 27, 2002

Editor's Note: None of the following courses have prerequisites. We provide here course reviews of a few of the introductory courses you are likely to consider, and a few smaller, upper-level courses that have met with consistently excellent reviews over the past few years. Dartmouth's course load can be cumbersome, between distributive requirements and classes for the major. You would do well to fill your elective schedule with courses we recommend. They are, truly, some of Dartmouth's best.

Introductory Courses

Art History 1: Intro. to History of Art I

Art History 2: Intro. to History of Art II

Together these courses survey the entire history of art, from ancient Egyptian and Greek artwork through the post-modern art of Georgia O'Keefe and Salvador Dali. Architecture, sculpture, the graphic arts, and painting are all studied. While the two courses include sometimes dry lectures and innumerable slides to memorize, they allow the student to appreciate western civilization's artistic legacy and its relation to our history.

CLASSICS 5: The Heroic Vision: Epics of Greece & Rome

This course is a survey of some of the 'best known and most influential works to survive from the ancient world.' Students study Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid, Ovid's Metamorphoses, as well as Lucan's Pharsalia. These works serve as the fountainhead from which our culture's works of literature have emerged. Students will find a knowledge of the classics essential toward understanding the broad span of Western literature. Professor Bradley is one of the best professors Dartmouth has to offer, but be prepared to read and participate in class.

Greek and Roman Studies 2: The Tragedy and Comedy of Greece & Rome

Similar to Greek and Roman Studies 1, this course focuses instead on drama. Students read dramatists such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Plautus, Terence, and Seneca. Professor Scott's fascinating lectures cover the artistic, theatric, and linguistic aspects of the works in addition to their social and historical context.

Greek and Roman Studies 3: History, Politics, and the Good Life in the Classical World

Rounding out the classical education, readings in this course are drawn from the historians of Greece and Rome. Beginning with Herodotus, the father of history, the course examines what it means to be a historian in a classical context and how recorded history changed through the classical times.

Other authors surveyed include Thucydides, Xenophon, Livy, Tacitus, Plutarch, and Ceasar. On the whole, Greek and Roman Studies boasts some of the top professors at Dartmouth, each of whom is passionately involved in his subject.

GOV'T 3: The American Political System
GOV'T 4: Comparative Gov't and Politics
GOV'T 5: International Politics
Gov't 6: Political Ideas

Together, these four courses serve as prerequisites to the Government major, the most popular major at Dartmouth. Yet, these introductory courses can be taken by non-majors as well. Few students pass through Freshman year without taking at least one of these classes. And that's the problem. They tend to be basic, and the classes are large.

Government 3 (American Government) often reads like a digest of the last year's worth of Newsweek—it's hopelessly simple. Shapiro in particular should be avoided. Government 5 can be very good or very bad—take it with Mastanduno.

Government 4 is generally a dreadful class. Taught by Professor Sa'adah, who has a disturbing penchant for seeing plagiarism wherever she turns, the class is difficult and boring.

Government 6 is an important class in which you read all the fundamentals of political philosophy. Though it is a lot of work, the class can be satisfying if you have a good professor.

Try to take it with Masters rather than Murphy.

History 1: The United States, 1763-1877
History 2: The United States since 1877

This is another set of courses that you should not take unless you are required to do so for your major. American History is simply too complex a subject to breeze through in ten weeks. The teaching tends to remind you of a tenth-grade social studies course.

That said, Kenneth Shewmaker sometimes teaches History 1. If you do major in History and don't place out of History 1, try to get Shewmaker. A tremendous professor.

History 2 is usually taught by Alexander Bontemps, a former Black Panther who usually keeps his politics out of the classroom. He is also extremely easy.

Bruce Nelson is to be avoided at all costs.

History 3: Europe to 1715
History 4: Europe since 1715

Although the professors who generally teach European History classes tend to be very good, these, too, are courses to be avoided. They move too fast and don't allow for any real depth of study.

Humanities 1 & 2: The Classical Tradition

For anyone interested in receiving a jump-start course in Western civilization, look no further. Humanities presents the great literature and philosophy of the ages as a coherent whole. The courses trace the evolution of human thought from classical times (Plato, Virgil, Homer) to the Renaissance (Dante, Milton) through to the modern era (Nietzsche, Ellison). No other great books courses exist at Dartmouth. Take advantage of these courses if you can. The English 5 requirement sometimes precludes its availibility to freshmen.

Philosophy 1: Introduction to Philosophy

This class is a fairly poor introduction to philosophy. Philosophy is a discipline which demands involved study of the central authors; a survey class like this one simply can't provide it. Philosophy 3 is a more interesting introductory course, because its topic (Logic) is demonstrably more narrow.

The Philosophy Department has only four full professors—Robert Fogelin, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Bernard Gert, and James Moor. These four are among the very best scholars in their fields, and among Dartmouth's best professors in any field. Any class with these four is a tremendous experience.

The younger members of the department are pretty universally terrible. Aim for Fogelin, Moor, Gert, or Sinnott-Armstrong.

Religion 1: Patterns of Religous Experience

The introduction to the intellectual study of religion teaches the major tenets of five religons: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.

In this class, as in most others at Dartmouth, thorough reading and class attendance are the ways to succeed. Although it is an introductory course, many senior and junior majors enroll, and can make the class an intimidating atmosphere for freshmen.

The Religion Department has a group of inspired and thoughtfully reflective scholars. Charles Stinson and Kevin Reinhardt stand out even in this group.

Recommended Upper-Level Courses

English 16: The King James Bible, I

English 17: The King James Bible, II

These two courses form a complete survey of the single most influential book in western civilization, the Bible. The former course studies the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament); the later course studies the Christian New Testament.

Both focus on the Bible's effects on English literature and the evolving history of its interpretation.

English 16 is rarely offered, but you can take it this fall. 17 will be available next year.

English 24: Shakespeare I

This class studies ten of his plays, spanning comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances. Be sure to take the class when it is taught by Professor Saccio, who is one of the best lecturers in the department.

Professor Crewe, who sometimes takes over the class, is far weaker.

English 28: Milton

This study of the English epic poet surveys 'almost all of Milton's poetry and...important selections from his prose.' Unfortunately, it is taught by Thomas Luxon. While Professor Luxon sometimes allows his political leanings to get in the way of his scholarship, the subject matter makes the course indispensable.

GERMAN 42: Topics in German Civilization
GERMAN 43: German Literature and Thought

These classes—both in translation—are some of the best taught classes at Dartmouth. The readings are generally interesting and the professors are almost always exceptional. The German department as a whole is one of the best departments here.

Try to take German 43 with Professor Shookman, who won the prize a few years ago for the best teacher at Dartmouth.

Italian in Translation 33: Dante

Since most of us cannot read The Divine Comedy in its original Italian, this course is a must for anyone who wishes to be educated in the Western tradition. Dante himself certainly knew his literary predecessors.

Professor Stephens will astound you with her knowledge of the religious, political and social context surrounding Dante.

This course is only taught during the summer term, so reserve a spot during your sophomore summer.

Music 6: History of Western Art Music

This course, 'An Introduction to Western Art Music,' emphasizes music of the past 300 years in an examination of selected masterworks. Like Art History, this fascinating course provides students with an excellent view of our culture through the lens of an art. 'No previous knowledge of music is assumed.'

Religion 65: Theology of Augustine
Religion 66: Theology of Aquinas

These two thinkers are the most prominent Christian theologians.

Professor Stinson displays an incredibly thorough knowledge of the subject matter.

Courses of Note

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