This makes for drama, and it is a drama which goes right to the core of the democratic faith. They fall short of tragedy only in that they provide no solution, offer no scapegoat but the self. Across the color line I move arm and arm with Balzac and Dumas, where smiling men and welcoming women glide in gilded halls. From out the caves of evening that swing between the strong limbed earth and the tracery of the stars, I summon Aristotle and Aurelius and what soul I will, and they come all graciously with no scorn nor condescension. This is a seminar.
Attendance is necessary for a competent performance and full enjoyment of the course.
You will be penalized for frequent absences. Participation in the conversation and writing are the heart of the course. Talking and writing about the readings is exciting and profitable. The seminar demands that you come to grips with the text, make the books your own, and be able to write with clarity and precision. Writing demands perseverance.