Listed in: History, as HIST-84
[c] Does understanding the past help us to predict the future? We will examine several prominent attempts at prophecy in the past, including works by George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Alexis de Tocqueville, Edward Bellamy, and George Kennan. We will seek to identify the distinguishing characteristics of accurate and inaccurate predictions in the past, then apply what we have learned to our current controversial topics in order to develop our own historically grounded prophecies. This semester our contemporary topics will be: global warming, race, American hegemony, and war. Students will each write a 20-page research paper on an individually chosen topic. One class meeting per week. Limited to 15 students. Not open to first year students. Spring semester. Visiting Professor Ellis (Mount Holyoke College).
Section 01
Tu 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM CONV 308
| ISBN | Title | Publisher | Author(s) | Comment | Book Store | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavenly City of the 18th Century Philosophers | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| Democracy in America | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| Looking Backward, 2000-1887 | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| Brave New World | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| Affluent Society | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| American Diplomacy (Walgreen Foundation Lectures) | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| Rise and Fall of the Great Powers | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| Field Notes from a Catastrophe | Amherst Books | TBD | ||||
| Freefall | Amherst Books | TBD |
These books are available locally at Amherst Books.