HSTEU 302 17TH-18TH
CENTURY EUROPE Winter
2017
Course Description This course surveys
European history in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, from the Thirty
Years War to the French Revolution. Major currents in intellectual history, from
the Scientific Revolution to Enlightenment, are examined in relation to political
and social developments. Political theory and institutional structures
associated with the rise of absolutism on the continent and constitutional
monarchy in England provide a central focus. The course concludes with the
revolutionary decade in France, the rise of Napoleon and European wide reaction
against the French Revolution.
LECTURE OUTLINES Lecture outlines and
questions for discussion based on the readings will be posted by Sunday of each
week for the coming week. Be sure to print these out before lecture.
Course
requirements:
Section
Participation (10% of grade): Students need to complete the assigned readings
before Friday section and come prepared to 1) raise questions and 2) discuss
particular passages in the readings that you found interesting, important,
puzzling or difficult. Your TA will take
attendance at sections and assign each student a participation grade in March.
First
paper 4-5 pages, DUE TUESDAY JANUARY 24 (20% of grade) [topics
below p. 5]
Midterm exam,
TUESDAY FEBRARY 7 IN
CLASS (20%
of grade) Review sheet will be provided
Second paper 6-8 pages due TUESDAY
MARCH 7 (25% of grade
Final
exam Monday March 13th, 10:30-12:20 (25%
of grade) Review sheet will be provided
Required Readings: books are
available at Bookstore (also on OUGL Reserve):
Readings in this course focus on political
and social thought in 17-18th century Europe. Our goal is to understand the
evolution of theories about society and government in their historical context.
This means asking where specific ideas came from, and what kinds of historical
circumstances led people to question existing political
arrangements and to imagine new ones. These included
economic, social and cultural forces as well as
political ones; all these factors need to be integrated
into our analysis. Lectures and textbook will provide the context for the
readings to be discussed in Friday sections.
Secondary
Sources:
Text:
Palmer, Colton & Kramer, History of Modern World Vol. I to 1815 (10th
ed.) . [P&C]
If you
have an earlier edition, follow chapter assignments or contact Prof O’Neil for page
numbers
Margaret Jacob, The Enlightenment: A
Brief History with Documents
Jack R. Censer & Lynn Hunt, Liberty,
Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution [C&H]
Primary
Sources:
plus a few selections available as links from web page or on e-reserve
John Locke, Second
Treatise of Government (Library of Liberal Arts)
Descartes, Discourse
on Method (Library of Liberal Arts)
Rousseau, Discourse
on Origin of Inequality in The Essential Rousseau
Voltaire, Candide
edited by Daniel Gordon
(other editions
OK, but read Gordon's Introduction on link from web page)
WK I THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY CRISIS
READING: Selections from
Hobbes’ Leviathan [link from web page]
Palmer
(10th ed) Ch 3 (#16) 30 Years War, pp. 135-141
Ch 4 (#19) England pp. 155-162;
Ch 6 (#30) Hobbes & Locke pp. 249-255
Optional: If you have little
background on the 16th century, read Ch 3 (#12-15) pp. 107-135
Tu 1/3 Introduction: 17th Century
Crises; Thirty Years War and its Aftermath
SLIDES:
Mars and Venus: Images of War & Peace in 17th C Painting
Th 1/5 English
Civil War (1640-1660): Regicide,
Puritan Revolution, Cromwell
P&C, Ch 4, (#19) pp. 155-62, Ch 6 (#30), pp. 249-252
Fr 1/6 :DISCUSSION: Hobbes Leviathan (1651) (10
pp. selection; handout & link from web site)
WEEKEND: start
Locke, Second Treatise of Government, 22 pp for 6 days Discussion next
Fri 1/13
WK II
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: ENGLAND AND DUTCH REPUBLIC
READING: Palmer and Colton,
Ch 4 (# 17-20) pp. 143-169, Ch 6 (#30), pp. 249-255;
Jacob, Introduction, pp. 1-15
Censer & Hunt, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Doc. 1.11, pp. 35-7
Locke, Second Treatise of Government, any edition (approx. 135
pages)
Tu 1/10 England:
Restoration and the Revolution of 1688
P&C, Ch 4, (#20), pp. 162-169; Ch 6 (#30), pp. 252-255
Censer & Hunt, English Bill of Rights, 1689, pp. 35-7
Th 1/12 Political Theory: Divine Right vs
Constitutional Monarchy
Dutch Republic to William of Orange
P&C, Ch 3 (#14) pp.
121-130, Ch 4 (#18) pp. 149-155
Fr 1/13 DISCUSSION: John Locke, Second
Treatise of Government (1689)
WEEK
III RATIONALISM, EMPIRICISM AND THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
READING: Palmer &
Colton, Ch 6 (# 27-29) pp. 225-240; P&C, Ch 7 (# 32-34), pp. 265-287
Jacob, Introduction, pp. 20-22, 27-33, 61-63. Kant on Enlightenment, pp.
202-208
T 1/17
The Scientific Revolution: Galileo to
Newton
Seventeenth Century Philosophy: Rationalism and Empiricism
Th 1/19 From the Scientific Revolution to the Enlightenment
F 1/20 DISCUSSION: Descartes, Discourse
on Method and
Kant, What is Enlightenment?, in Jacob pp.
202-208
** FIRST
PAPER DUE IN CLASS, TUESDAY JAN 24 **
WEEK IV
LOUIS XIV AND THE EMPERORS
READING: Palmer & Colton,
Ch 3 (#15) pp. 130-35, Ch 4 (#17) pp. 145-48, (# 21-22) pp. 169-188;
Jacob, Introduction, pp. 15-22, 33-43, Treatise
of the Three Impostors, in Jacob pp. 94-137
Voltaire, Letters
concerning the English Nation, in Jacob pp.114-137
T 1/24
French Monarchy & Society under Louis XIII
P&C, Ch 3 (#15) pp.130-35, Ch4 (#17) pp.145-48
France: Mazarin and The Fronde
P&C Ch 4 (#21), pp.169-181
Th 1/26 Louis XIV: Absolutism at Versailles
P&C, Ch 4 (#22),
pp.181-188
Religion in the Age of Reason & Enlightenment
F 1/27 DISCUSSION:
Readings in Jacob,
Anonymous,
Treatise of the Three Impostors, pp.
94-114, and
Voltaire, Letters concerning the
English Nation, pp.114-137
WEEK
V CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE: absolutism & enlightened despotism
READING: Palmer &
Colton, Ch 5 (# 23-26) 189-224; Ch 8 (# 36-37), 311-329
Jacob, The Enlightenment, Introduction, pp. 20-27, 43-46; Diderot, pp.
156-159
Tu 1/31
Habsburgs and the Austro-Hungarian Empire: P&C, Ch 5 (#23-4) pp. 189-203
Russia under Peter the Great & Catherine the Great
P&C, Ch 5 (#26-27), pp. 211-224; Ch 8 (#37) pp.
320-29
Th 2/2 Prussia to Frederick the Great
P&C, Ch 5 (#25), pp. 203-211;
Ch 8 (#36) pp. 311-320; Ch 7 (#34), pp. 282- 288,
Baron
de Montesquieu: The Persian Letters and Spirit of the Laws
Fri 2/3 DISCUSSION: Review
for midterm (covers reading through Week V)
Diderot and
the Encyclopedia: Jacob,
Intro pp. 50-55, Encyclopédie, pp 156-159
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7 MIDTERM EXAM, IN CLASS
WEEK VI THE
ENLIGHTENMENT ON NATURE AND SOCIETY
READING: Palmer and
Colton, Ch 8 (# 35) pp. 297-311
Voltaire, Candide: Intro by Daniel Gordon, pp. 1-30, Text pp. 35-119
Jacob, Intro pp. 46-55, on Voltaire and Diderot, Encyclopedia,
156-159
T 2/7
MIDTERM EXAM IN CLASS
Th 2/9 Philosophes: From Laws of Nature to Laws of
Society P&C Ch 8 (#35), pp. 297-311
Voltaire: Theorist of Enlightened
Absolutism and Critic of Religion
Leibniz: Theodicy or the problem of evil;
Alexander Pope, Essay
on Man (handout & link from web page)
F 2/10 DISCUSSION: Voltaire, Candide, or Optimism (1759)
WEEK
VII ROUSSEAU AND ROMANTICISM
READING: Jacob, Intro pp.
55-65 on Rousseau, pp. 22-27 on women; P&C, pp. 306-308
Rousseau, Discourse on Inequality,
in Essential Rousseau, pp. 125-201
T 2/14
Women in the 18th Century: Salons and Sociability Jacob, Introduction pp. 22-27
Natural Law and Enlightenment Ethics: from
Sade to Kant
Th 2/16 Rousseau: between Enlightenment and Romanticism; from
state of nature to social contract
F 2/17 DISCUSSION: Rousseau,
Discourse on the Origins of Inequality
Voltaire, Letter to Rousseau, (link
from web site)
WEEK
VIII ORIGINS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
READING: Palmer and Colton, Ch
9 (# 41-42) pp. 349-370
Censer & Hunt, Liberty, Equality, Ch 1, 1-21; Ch 2, 50-62; Ch 4,
115-138 & pages below
Rousseau, Social Contract selections in Jacob, pp 178-201
T 2/21
Public Opinion and Civil Society in 18th C:P&C, Ch 9, (#41), pp. 349-355
18th Century France: Society, Government
and Taxation
Censer & Hunt, Damiens Affair, Doc. 1.6,
pp. 28-35
Th 2/23 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette C&H, Doc 1.13, pp. 39-41
Fiscal Crisis and Estates General: P&C Ch 9, (#42), pp.
355-370
F 2/24 DISCUSSION: Rousseau, Social Contract selections in
Jacob, pp 178-201
Documents in Censer
& Hunt, pp. 24-25, 42-47, 129-138, including
Declaration of Rights of Man &
Citizen, and The Emancipation
of Negroes
Olympia
de Gouges, Declaration of Rights of Women on CD ROM & link from
website
WEEK IX THE
FIRST FRENCH REPUBLIC:
READING: Palmer and Colton, Ch
9 (#43-44) pp. 370-383; Jacob, Introd. pp. 65-72
Censer & Hunt, Ch 1 Docs (#1.4-1.5), pp. 25-28;Ch 2, pp. 62-84; Ch 3, pp.
85-114
Tu 2/28
Constitutional Monarchy, 1789-1791
War
and the Second Revolution of 1792: P&C Ch 9, (#43) pp. 370-374
Th 3/2 Robespierre, the Republic of Virtue and the
Terror: P&C Ch 9, (#44), pp. 374-383
F 3/3 DISCUSSION: Freedom
& terror: Censer & Hunt, Ch 2, pp. 62-84;
Ch 3, pp 85-114; Ch 1 Babeuf &
Enragés, Docs (#1.4-1.5), pp. 25-28;
Robespierre’s
Temple of Reason, Kramnick pp. 168-173 (link from web site)
*** SECOND PAPER DUE
TUESDAY MARCH 7 ***
WEEK X
WAR AND NAPOLEONIC EUROPE
READING: Palmer and
Colton, Ch 9 (#45) pp. 383-394, Ch 10 (#47-49); pp. 395-414
Censer & Hunt, Ch 5, 139-159 Docs (#5.1), pp. 160-161, (#5.6-5.7), pp 166-169
Tu 3/7
Napoleonic Europe
Th 3/9
Nationalism and the Opposition to Napoleon
P&C, Ch 10 (#49-51), pp. 409-431
F 3/10 DISCUSSION:
Napoleon documents and Review for Final:
Censer &
Hunt, Ch 5, 139-159 Docs (#5.1), pp. 160-161, (#5.6-5.7), pp 166-169
** FINAL EXAM: MONDAY MARCH 13, 10:30-12:20 in our regular classroom