Course Description and Goals: This course examines representations of the end of the world in literature and film to reveal the differences in values and attitudes to human life and humanity in Russian, European, and American cultures. We will examine various images of the apocalypse, from the most ancient literary and religious representations to the most recent movies and novels. We will pay special attention to the change in the attitudes of writers and creators to human protagonists and humanity. The course will emphasize how writers and film directors imagine modifications and the extinction of humans. We will discuss anthropocentrism, human exceptionalism, human nature, and the cultural and political implications of those concepts. We will also consider animal rights, transhumanism, and posthumanism. Changes in the images of the future from ancient to contemporary fiction and film will be central to our discussions.
All readings and assignments are in English.
On the completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the different ways of thinking about the world and human civilization in Russian, European, and American cultures.
2. Explain how different historical contexts shaped these ways of thinking and attitudes.
3. Analyze how the ways of thinking about the end of the world influence the value systems, especially the ways of understanding the place and role of human beings in the world.
4. Think critically about the trajectory of the changing attitudes to humans and humanism.
There is no textbook for this course. The instructor will either provide all necessary resources or the internet will be used as a primary source of content, including links to websites, articles, videos, or other relevant digital resources.
Attendance - 20%
Two 10-minute Presentations - 20%
Midterm - 30%
Final Essay (10 pages min; due by 5 pm, Wednesday of finals week)- 30%
Final grade will appear as a letter grade according to the following scale:
90-100% A
80-89 % B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F
Attendance (20%): Attendance and participation are essential to success in this course. You are expected to attend classes and contribute to class discussion, voicing your opinion about the topics discussed. You must be prepared to discuss the set readings or films and should bring your notes and questions with you. Please ensure that you complete the assignments by Monday of each week. All students are expected to participate in the debate: the class emphasizes your ability to critique and analyze. Each week will begin with an introduction to the topic, followed by a group discussion of selected readings and films related to the weekly themes.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
I strongly urge you to be familiar with these Georgia Tech sites:
Honor Challenge — https://osi.gatech.edu/students/honor-code
Office of Student Integrity — http://www.osi.gatech.edu/index.php/
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help students master course content and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward the broad Orienting Questions: What is humanism, and what is antihumanism? What are the reasons to consider human life as exceptionally valued, and what are the ways to oppose this statement?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcomes:
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the diverse ways of thinking about the world and human civilization across different cultures.
- Students will be able to acknowledge how different historical contexts shaped these ways of thinking and attitudes.
- Students will be able to analyze how different ways of thinking about the end of the world influence diverse value systems, particularly in understanding the place and role of human beings in the world.
- Students will learn to think critically about the trajectory of the changing attitudes toward humans and humanism.
- Students will analyze and draw information from a large variety of texts, including fiction, academic writing, and film.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Critical Thinking
- Critical Intercultural Competence
- Independent Ability to find and critically assess a variety of discources and information resources