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St. Augustine, Confessions VIII O

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Augustine and Culture Seminar

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1000 (Ancients) and 1001 (Moderns) N

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Foundation Question
Who am I?

Augustine and Culture

Seminar is one of a group
M W F / 12:30-1:20 / SAC 103 / ACS 1000 S26

of five courses that we

call the foundation
courses. The courses
make a Villanova
education distinctive and
work together to answer
a series of related
questions:

WHO AM I?
Augustine and Culture
Seminar 1000 (Ancients)
and 1001 (Moderns)

WHAT CAN I KNOW?

Philosopy 1000:
Knowledge, Reality, Self

WHAT DO I BELIEVE?
Theology and
Religious Studies 1000:
Faith, Reason, and Culture

HOW SHOULD I LIVE?

Ethics 2050:
The Good Life
Ethics and Contemporary
Moral Problems

By seeking answers to
these questions, you Men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the
mighty waves of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the
will conduct an
interdisciplinary inquiry
that is informed by
Augustinian and Catholic compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars, yet
intellectual traditions,
develop your skills in pass over the mystery of themselves without a thought.
critical thinking and
communication, deepen - St. Augustine
your understanding
of yourself and the world,
and engage with issues of
personal responsibility
and social justice.
Office Hours: Monday 2:30-3:30 in the Library Cafe. Please do not
hesitate to contact me in order to schedule a meeting at a time and/or place that works
better for you. I am also available via email and Skype.

ACS and the Augustinian Mission:

A centerpiece of the first-year learning experience, the Augustine and Culture Seminar introduces
students of every college to the distinctively Augustinian ethos of Villanova.

Students in ACS study the great texts, ideas, and debates that have shaped Western thought and
culture. They gather in small, discussion-based seminars for serious conversation about lifes
fundamental questions, sharing their best insights in the spirit of friendship and the joy of discovery.
Through this common work, they learn, as Augustine did, to seek the truth while striving for justice
in the world.

In ACS 1000, students read the Bible together with the literature of ancient Greece and Rome,
discovering in these texts different views of what it means to be human. This preparation leads to
the Confessions, in which Augustine, immersed in both traditions, lives the tensions between them and
seeks the possibility of their completion in Christ. Students also read one or more medieval authors,
in whose writings the Christian synthesis of traditions endures and evolves for centuries after
Augustine.

ACS 1001 continues the Augustinian pursuit of justice and truth in an investigation of modern
culture. Students read some of the most important works written since Shakespeare, setting them
against the backdrop of ancient and medieval authors and seeking to understand their innovations.
For a critical perspective, the course gives special attention to the Catholic intellectual tradition and
its ongoing mission to defend the dignity of the human person, recognize the need for human
solidarity, and serve the increasingly threatened common good.

Learning Goals
Analysis - Understanding and interpreting difficult primary source texts, complex ideas and
arguments.

Writing - Clearly integrating evidence from primary source texts, understanding how those texts
relate to concepts with application to specific issues and problems.

Communicating - Articulating philosophical arguments and concepts cogently both publicly and
privately, both extemporaneously and with planning.

Blending Rigor with Uncertainty - Being able to evaluate and clearly express ideas and arguments,
especially in areas where there are no clear answers.

Course Policies
The use of laptops in class is prohibited. (If you wish to use an e-reader for the PDF
assignments in class you may. However, you must sit in the front row and place the tablet
flat on your desk).

Strong - ACS Syllabus - 2

The use of cell phones for text messaging or other uses is prohibited with the exception of checking
the time.

If for whatever reason you feel as though you have received an unfair or incorrect grade then you
are free to contest the grade in writing via email only, I will not discuss these matters in person.

I will accept late work within a reasonable period of time, however, it will receive a lower grade that
if it had been turned in on time.

Learning Disabilities and Strategies for Learning

At Villanova University we are lucky enough to have the Office of Learning Support Services
located in Vasey 202. If you have a diagnosed learning disability and will need special
accommodations, such as extra time for assessments, please get in touch them as soon as possible if
you have not already done so.

Additionally, The Office of Learning Support Services is an excellent resource for all students having
trouble with or wanting to improve their academic skill set. They offer free workshops on studying
strategies, time management, note-taking, test-taking anxiety and more.

Writing Center

The Villanova writing center is a great resource if you need help with your writing no matter where
you are in the process. The Villanova Writing Center provides a comfortable atmosphere for your
one-on-one session with a qualified tutor. I strongly recommend you visit the writing center no
matter what your writing level. Writing is a skill like any other and it can always be improved upon.

Academic Integrity

In keeping with the universitys code and policy concerning academic integrity there will be no
cheating, fabrication, plagiarism or assisting in or contributing to academic dishonesty. Please take a
moment to review the full policy in your student handbook or online. Failure to comply with these
guidelines can be very serious and the policy will be strictly enforced.

Statement on Civility

I expect more than a modicum of civility and respect for one another in class. I expect you to listen
to and respect points of view that are other than your own. Sometimes your perspectives may be
challenged and you may encounter attitudes, opinion and information counter to what you think or
believe. That being said, debate and argumentation are expected and are strongly encouraged but
one should adhere to formal politeness and courtesy in behavior and/or speech.

Assessments
Unannounced quizzes may be given at any time. This is based on the expectation that
students are to have carefully read the assigned text.

Strong - ACS Syllabus - 3

 On the last class for each text, students will write a paragraph or two in response to a
prompt that I will provide. Success on this assessment will rely not only on thoughtful
attendance but also on a careful reading of the assigned text.

A mid-term and a final paper

A comprehensive final take-home exam.

Attendance

Active Participation.

Required Books
Plato, Five Dialogues (Hackett). ISBN: 0872206335

St. Augustine, Confessions, trans. Chadwick (Oxford Worlds Classics). ISBN: 0199537828

Aristotle, Nicomachian Ethics (Hackett), ISBN: 0872201929

The Bible

Grading and Assessments

Attendance and participation: 15%
Midterm Paper: 20%
Final Paper: 30%
Reading Questions: 15%
Unannounced Quizzes: 10%
Life Well Lived Essay: 10%

Grading Scale:

93.5-100 A
90-93.4 A-
87-89.9 B+
83-86.9 B
80-82.9 B-
77-79.9 C+
73-76..9 C
70-72.9 C-
67-69.9 D+
63-66.9 D
60-62.9 D-
59.9 F

Strong - ACS Syllabus - 4

ACS CULMINATING PORTFOLIO
Within the CLAS Foundation Courses Portfolio

At the end of the year, you will submit your Culminating Portfolioa portfolio of your best work
in ACS 1000 and 1001. This portfolio will include selections of your writing from the fall and spring
semester, along with a reflection on your work.

The Culminating Portfolio can be found within the CLAS Foundation Courses portfolio template.
Your other Foundation courses professors (Theology, Philosophy, and Ethics) will give you further
instructions regarding what you will upload to represent your work in their courses.

During the fall semester, I will ask you to upload electronically on Blackboard two artifacts from
ACS 1000:

The Life Well Lived essay from the first week of class
One analytical essay (which you will choose)

At the end of the spring semester, you will be asked to upload several more artifacts representing the
years work, along with a reflective essay on your intellectual growth over the course of the year.

The CLAS Foundation Courses Portfolio will stay with you for all four years here at Villanova, and
you will have the opportunity to gauge your own progress through the Foundation Courses and
beyond.

Strong - ACS Syllabus - 5

Schedule (Subject to Change):
Specific readings and pages to cover for each class will be announced in class and/or through email.

Week 1

Foundation Essay Question (Due Wednesday August 26)

Prompt: What is a life well lived? In your response identify the key intellectual and moral
influences that shape your answer to the question.

Plutarch Theseus

Week 2
Plato Pheado

Week 3 For whatever dead thing is

Plato Pheado (No Class Monday Labour Day) said to be abandoned by life,
is understood to be deserted
Week 4 by the soul. Moreover, this
Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics By servitude to life which deserts the things
passion, habit is which die is itself the mind,
formed, and habit and it does not abandon
Week 5 to which there is no itself; hence the mind does
Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics resistance becomes not die.
necessity
Week 6
The Book of Job
As to the other pleasures of life, regret at their loss
should be in inverse proportion to the extent to
Week 7 which one weeps for losing them. The less we weep
The Book of Job for them, the more we ought to be weeping.

Midterm Essay due on 10/9

Fall Break 10/12-10/15

Week 8
The Book of Matthew

Week 9
Augustines Confessions

Week 10
Augustines Confessions

Strong - ACS Syllabus - 6

Week 11
Augustines Confessions

Week 12
Augustines Confessions

Week 13
Augustines Confessions
(Thanksgiving Break Wednesday Friday)

Week 14
Summary, Reflection, Conclusions

Final Essay Due Tuesday Dec 8th.

Strong - ACS Syllabus - 7