We will examine the arguments of authors, and seek to understand the attitudes and values they express. At the same time, we will try to explore different ways of interpreting the past. We will juxtapose the arguments of policy makers, and historians sympathetic to their positions, with the writings of both radical and conservative critics and try to understand the nature of the emerging dialogue. Finally, the course seeks to develop an understanding of the discipline of history as a subjective exercise, in some ways an art form, in which the historian tries to piece together an impression of the past. You should finish the semester with the understanding that there is no such thing as an objective assessment that explains everything about the past, and with the awareness that all we can try to do is approximate some sense of reality.
Participation is a necessary and important part of the course.
While I do not take attendance formally, I do keep track of who is present and absent, and part of your grade reflects your participation. Both exams will be essay tests. The Mid-Term Exam will be taken in class. The Final Exam will be comprehensive, and will be done as a take-home exam. It should be typed, and you will be limited in the number of pages you can turn in.