Fall 2008 Schedule

What Are Robinson Professors?
Since 1984, a large bequest from the late Clarence J. Robinson has allowed George Mason University to appoint to the faculty distinguished professors in the liberal arts and sciences.  Clarence J. Robinson Professors are outstanding scholars who are dedicated to undergraduate teaching and whose teaching and scholarship concern broad and fundamental intellectual issues.  They have chosen to come to George Mason University from senior positions elsewhere to become closely involved with the education of undergraduate students. For further information, please contact the Robinson Professor office in 207 East Building, call (703) 993-2171, or e-mail Denise Napoliello at dnapolie@gmu.edu.

Please see the department listing for information for registering. All courses taught by Robinson Professors are open to anyone meeting department prerequisites.

SHAUL BAKHASH
Robinson Professor of History

HIST 387: Modern Iraq
Iraq has had a turbulent history ever since it was carved out of three provinces of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I. In this course, we will examine the politics of Iraq under the British mandate, as an independent state under the monarchy, and as a republic after the revolution of 1958, with special emphasis on the social composition of Iraq's people and of its ruling elites; the ideologies that shaped these elites; and the various attempts to create a cohesive nation out of Iraq's disparate ethnic and religious communities. We will study in some detail the Iraqi revolution of 1958 and its legacy; the rule of the Baath and Saddam Hussein; Iraq as a player in the region and the international system; and the American invasion of Iraq and its aftermath. (TR 1:30-2:45 p.m.)

SPENCER CREW
Robinson Professor of American, African American, and Public History

HIST 120: U.S. History
Ethnicity, race, and gender consistently have impacted one's status as a full fledged citizen in the United States. Begining with New World arrivals this course will examine how the "others" in the U.S. society have struggled over the years to make a place for themselves. The individuals seen as different have changed over the course of history and the nature of the challenges they face took different forms at different times. How these struggles changed and how the nation evolved in the course of these struggles will be a central theme in the course. (TR 3:00-4:15 p.m.)

PAUL D'ANDREA
Robinson Professor of Theatre and English

ENGL 336:  Shakespeare: Tragedies and Romances.
Shakespeare is one of the most important cultural resources we possess; we need the vision embodied in his work to help us as we create our own aesthetic and ethical lives.  The course deals with practical stagecraft, Elizabethan context, and relevance to contemporary art and moral vision.  (TR  12:00-1:15 p.m.)

THR 355: Moral Vision in Contemporary American Theatre
The goal of this course is to begin to piece together, in a coherent and systematic manner, the vision of American society that is being presented in the American theater of the last twenty years. The subject is defined as “moral” vision because the focus is on how we perceive ourselves in relation to other persons and to standards of value in society. Such an approach would not concern itself, for example, with technical theatrical innovation for its own sake, but only as it reveals a facet of moral vision. The key questions underlying the course are: How is our dramatic art shaping us as ethical beings? How does it affect how we make our own personal moral choices and how do those choices in turn impact others? The dozen plays studied include “The Heidi Chronicles,” “Angels in America (I),” and “Fences.” Also listed as ENGL 449. (TR  3:00-4:15 p.m.)

UNIV 301:   Great Ideas in Science
A non-technical introduction to the ideas that have shaped the growth of science.  The idea behind each major advance is treated in its historical context, with special attention to its importance in mankind's understanding of the nature of the universe.  Examples are taken from the physical, geological, and biological sciences.  (M  4:30 - 7:10 p.m.)

HNRS 131: Contemporary Society in Multiple Perspectives
Our seminar will focus on the interlocking claims of religious faith and human reason in Western culture.  In a light-hearted romp across the centuries, we will first clarify the meanings attached to faith and reason and make our first stop at the medieval synthesis. We then consider the breakdown of that synthesis at the beginning of the modern era, the impact of the Enlighenment and Romantic movements and the search for a "reasonable" natural religion.  With the nineteenth century we will encounter the intellectual mainstreaming of atheistic reason for the first time in human history and consider the alleged confrontation between modern science and religion.  Through scandalously brief reading selections, we will listen to the tension between faith and reason discussed by, among others, Augustine, Acquinas, Descartes, Pascal, Locke, Hume, Kant,  Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Freud,  C.S. Lewis and Charles Taylor.  We will also discuss Pope John Paul II's recent treatise on the subject (Fides et Ratio). Must we ultimately choose between making Athens or Jerusalem our home?  Have we already chosen?  (MW 1:30-2:45 p.m.)

GOVT 471:  Millennialism and Philosophies of History in Western Culture
Is there purpose in human history? Are we really going anywhere as humanity moves through time? This seminar will study major patterns by which thinkers in the West have discerned meaning in humanity's temporal existence. The survey will extend from the Jewish roots of historical understanding, through Christian millennialism, to contemporary naturalism. Also listed as HIST 389 and SOCI 395  (MW 3:00-4:15 p.m.)

CARMA HINTON
Robinson Professor of Visual Culture and Chinese Studies

FAVS 399: Special Topics in the Arts: The Clouded Window; China through American Lens (U.S. Documentaries on China)
Renowned China scholar Derk Bodde once observed, "Throughout history, China, to an unusual degree, seems to have been capable of inspiring either ardent admiration or intense antipathy." Film and television have great power to magnify such sentiments. Today the average American's perceptions of China are influenced far more by his or her exposure to television than by reading. Hours before the TV set, however, do not automatically produce "media literacy," as this viewing is usually a passive, absorbent, non‑analytical experience. This course will study American documentary films about China dating from the 1940s to the present. Through film viewing and discussion, supplemented by readings of historical writings as well as film theory and criticism, the course will explore how images of China on the American screen have changed over time, and how these changes, or at times drastic reversals, have mirrored broader historical currents in US-China relations. A number of films will be analyzed in detail to expose students to basic elements of documentary filmmaking. Course is taught in English. Also listed as HIST 393. (R 4:30-7:10 p.m.)

CHIN 320: Introduction to Chinese Cinema
This course is an introduction to Chinese cinema from the 1930s to the present, focusing on feature films made in Mainland China. The study of Chinese film is a relatively new field in international film scholarship, and the range of choices for a course such as this one is limited by the availability of English-subtitled films as well as by English language writings on the subject. Within these constraints, this course will provide a broad historical overview of 20 th-century Chinese cinema, combined with in-depth exploration of selected topics, focusing on issues of national, cultural, and gender identities, the relationship between art and politics, and cross-cultural communication. Considerable emphasis will be given to the so-called Fifth Generation filmmakers, whose works constitute a key turning point in Chinese cinematic history. Course is taught in English. Also listed as ARTH 303 and FAVS 399. (W 7:20-10:00 p.m.)

GOVT 430: Comparative Political Leadership
Comparative political leadership, relationships between political culture and types of leadership, patterns of leadership recruitment, and linkages between political elites and citizenry. (TR 10:30-11:45 a.m.)

GOVT 490: The Globalization Debate
Seminar focuses on the multiple actors and actions in today's international system, to develop an understanding of the relationships and themes that characterize and condition the existing field of international transactions, exploring its parameters and conceptual approaches from different disciplines. (TR 1:30-2:45 p.m.)

UNIV 301:  Great Ideas in Science
A non-technical introduction to the ideas that have shaped the growth of science.  The idea behind each major advance is treated in its historical context, with special attention to its importance in mankind's understanding of the nature of the universe.  Examples are taken from the physical, geological, and biological sciences.  (T 7:20-10:00 p.m.)

PHYS 122: Inside Relativity.
Introductory course describing Einstein's theories of special and general relativity intended for majors and nonmajors.  (Term 1F , MWF 9:30-10:20 a.m.)

PHYS 123:  Inside the Quantum World.
Introductory course describing quantum theory intended for majors and nonmajors.  (Term 1L, MWF 9:30-10:20 a.m.)