Honors 225: Materialism & Idealism
Fall, 2010 | Mondays & Wednesdays, 2:00 – 3:15 P.M. | Bell Hall, Room 183

Course Description

“How shall we then live?” is the question.

Our answers are neither neutral nor free from impact – on ourselves and the world around us. This is a course designed to create awareness and challenge viewpoints about what it means to live spiritually, morally and affirmatively.

We will address materialism and idealism in several spheres:

• Spiritual
• Political-economic
• Social
• Persuasional
• Professional
• Neurobiological
• Personal

We will begin with the Bible and its thoughts, continuing through a survey of a variety of groups, attitudes, belief systems and influences. We will consider multiple viewpoints, philosophies and belief systems, using a diverse set of source materials and self-generated insights.

Textbooks & Resources

The Bible
“Common Wealth” by Jeffrey Sachs
“Deep Economy” by Bill McKibben
“Theory of the Leisure Class” by Thorstein Veblen
“Born to Buy" by Juliet B. Schor

Additional reading materials as assigned.

More Resources and (a few) Expectations

A Twitter account…

Twitter (www.twitter.com) is a useful tool for quick questions, communication and messages. Find me on Twitter as “whatifwhynot” We will use #au225 as a hashtag to organize our Twitstream I will use it to issue assignment reminders,, schedule changes, respond to quick questions, etc.

Feel free to use an existing Twitter account if you have one. Make sure to ‘follow’ me as I will you.

A Delicious account…

Delicious (www.delicious.com) is a social bookmarking tool that we will use to enrich our readings and discussions throughout the semester. Students will be expected to bookmark two articles, videos or other content each week, add a comment about the content and its relevance to the class, and add a few keywords to provide topical organization.

The account is set up under my name (Steve Davis) and my e-mail address (steve@t1resources.com) The user name is au225 and the password is fall2009.

Feel free to use an existing Delicious account if you have one. Simply join the au225 network.

To see how I use Delicious in my work, feel free to review my bookmarks as noted above.

A Google/Blogger account…

You will be expected to post your writing assignments on the class blog. To do this you need to create a free Google account if you don’t already have one.

The blog’s title is “Materialism & Idealism." Find it at http://au225.blogspot.com/

Let me know your Google account details and I’ll add you to the blog as an author. Please tag your posts with your name to facilitate keeping track of assignments.

Remember, the blog is public, visible not just to your classmates but to everyone, everywhere. You’re building your personal brand as you write and publish. Make sure you’re creating a brand of which you can be proud.

A word: because the blog has multiple authors (i.e. all of you) it can also have multiple editors. Feel free to edit your own work as we go. Any messing with other students’ work is grounds for harsh language on my part and a letter grade decrement (or worse) on yours.

Here’s a twist: An opportunity to work in teams…

Regardless of vocation, much of your life’s work will be accomplished in teams. Yet, for most of us, teamwork is a learned skill. So let’s get busy learning how to be an effective team member.

For the major projects and papers, you may, if you choose, work in teams. There are several stipulations:

• Teams are limited to a maximum size of three students.
• You can’t work in the same team more than once, i.e. the team must evolve from assignment to assignment.
• All team members receive the same grade. No arguments. No excuses.


What Do I Have To Do To Get An ‘A’?

Final exam (Essay and Open Book) 150 points
Influencing & Persuading Project 100 points
Two mid-term examinations 50 points each, 100 total
Class Participation 50 points
Evidence of Critical Thinking 100 points, assigned as follows:
Bookmarking 50 points
Weekly blog posts 50 points

Total possible points: 500

A = 94% - 100%
A- = 90%-93%
B+ = 87%-89%
B = 84% - 86%
B- = 80% - 83%
C+ = 77% - 79%
C = 74% - 76%
C- = 70% - 73%
D = 60% - 69%
F = below 60%

The final exam will be your answer, in essay form, to the question posed at the beginning of this outline: “How Shall I Then Live” with answer being linked to the issues and attitudes, belief systems and influences considered throughout the course.

Is There Any ‘Fine Print?’

Yes there is…

• I don’t care about your attendance. I care quite a lot about your participation and engagement.
• Yes, I will grade you on your writing.