Samson, Steven Alan

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Liberty UniversityDigitalCommons@LibertyUniversityFaculty Publications and Presentations Helms School of GovernmentSpring 2008GOVT 497, Directed Research: FyodorDostoevskySteven Alan SamsonLiberty University, ssamson@liberty.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/gov_fac_pubsPart of the Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Political Science Commons, and thePublic Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Helms School of Government at DigitalCommons@Liberty University. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Liberty University. For moreinformation, please contact scholarlycommunication@liberty.edu.Recommended CitationSamson, Steven Alan, "GOVT 497, Directed Research: Fyodor Dostoevsky" (2008). Faculty Publications and Presentations. Paper 368.http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/gov_fac_pubs/368 Syllabus for  Directed Research GOVT495 – Spring 2008 Dr. Steven Alan Samson Liberty University Helms School of Government   I.  Catalog Description Directed Research 3 credit hours                                                                                                II. Objectives  1. This course introduces the student to Fyodor Dostoevsky’s political thought through a number of primary and secondary sources. 2. The student will gain a better understanding of the socio-political and philosophical revolutionary shift of the 19th century Russian political sphere through the study of Dostoevsky’s literary work and supplemental texts .   III. Prerequisites GOVT 200  IV.  Required Texts:           A.   Primary Sources:                      Brothers Karamazov The Devils The Diary of a Writer The Idiot (optional)  B. Bibliography of Secondary Sources:       Berdyaev, Nicholas. Dostoevsky. New York: Meridian, 1957.   ________. The Russian Idea, trans. R. M. French. Hudson, NY: Lindisfarne, 1992 [1947].   Berlin, Isaiah. Russian Thinkers, ed. Henry Hardy and Aileen Kelly. Harmondsworth, UK:    Penguin, 1978.  Billington, James H. Fire in the Minds of Men: Origins of the Revolutionary Faith. New   York: Basic Books, 1980  ________. The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretive History of Russian Culture.   New York: Vintage, 1970 [1966].  Girard, René. Deceit, Desire, and the Novel: Self and Other in Literary Structure, trans.   Yvonne Freccero. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1976 [1961].  Panichas, George A. The Burden of Vision: Dostoevsky’s Spiritual Art. Chicago: Gateway, 1985.  Sandoz, Ellis. Political Apocalypse: A Study of Dostoevsky’s Grand Inquisitor. Baton   Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1971.  C. Internet Sources  http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/dostoevsky_links.html  http://www.kiosek.com/dostoevsky/contents.html  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grand_Inquisitor  V. Learning Outcomes   1. The student will meet with at least one of the professors once each week for   discussion on the readings and progress on the paper. 2. The student will be able to identify, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate key political and philosophical ideas concerning Man, God, Russia, religion, and revolution that informed Dostoevsky’s literary corpus. 3. The student will demonstrate such understanding on two essay and short answer tests and a research paper.  VI. Assignments, Special Projects, and Due Dates:   A. Exams: There will be two exams.   Exams are due in the professor’s office no later than 4:30 p.m. on the date that it is due.  The final due date will be due in the professor’s office  no later than on Monday, May 20, 4:30 p.m. B. Research Paper:  There will be one research paper. The fiist draft will be due on April 30.  The students will meet with the professors at an agreed upon time and date within two weeks for an oral defense.  The final version of the paper will be due in the professors’ office on Monday, May 20, no later than 4:30 p.m C.    Grades:  Final grades will be determined based upon the student’s grades on the two exams and the research paper. D. Grading Scale:           A  = 100 – 94  C   = 76 – 73  A- =   93 – 90  C- = 72 – 70     B+ =  89 - 87  D+ = 69 – 67              B   =  86 – 83  D   = 66 – 63 B-  = 82 – 80  D-  = 62 – 60 C+ = 79 – 77  F    = 59  First Exam: 25% Second Exam: 25% Research Paper: 50%  F. Academic Dishonesty Policy (with a tip of the hat to the Lee University policy): As a Christian community of scholarship, we at Liberty University are committed to the principles of truth and honesty in the academic endeavor.  As faculty and students in this Christian community, we are called to present our academic work as an honest reflection of our abilities; we do not need to defraud members of the community by presenting others’ work as our own.  Therefore, academic dishonesty is handled with serious consequences for two fundamental reasons: it is stealing – taking something that is not ours; it is also lying – pretending to be something it is not. Christian community, such pretense is not only unnecessary; it is also harmful to the individual and community as a whole.  Cheating should have no place at a campus where Christ is King because God desires us to be truthful with each other concerning our academic abilities.  Only with a truthful presentation of our knowledge can there be an honest evaluation of our abilities.  To such integrity, we as a Christian academic community are called. 

GOVT 497, Directed Research: Fyodor Dostoevsky

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