Get Involved II--More Extra Credit Opportunities

One of the best ways to learn about any people and time period is to look a the art, music, and literature that comes from that time.  This week, you'll have a couple of great opportunities to get some of that extra insight into history the arts and literature provide. 

Tonight (Thursday, October 16), tomorrow, and Saturday, the NSU theater department presents "On the Verge."  The show starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Williams Library "Round Room."  Also tonight is the annual aria and concerto competition.  The aria portion of the competition begins at 5:00 p.m. in Krikac auditorium. 

For extra credit, just add a comment to the post here indicating how either the play or one of the musical numbers you listened to ties in to the study of history.

Condorcet's Progress of the Human Mind (extra credit)

I summarized for you Condorcet's Progress of the Human Mind in class.  You will get a somewhat better feel for Condorcet is you read the essay for yourself.  Please read through this abridged version.  What do you see here that adds to or modifies the impressions of Condorcet you got from lecture? 

The French Encyclopedia (extra credit)

Reading the articles in Diderot's Encyclopedia is one of the best ways to understand the French Enlightenment. It shows the attitudes of the philosophes toward everything from Islam to Women to Intolerance to History. While the online translation of the Encyclopedia articles does not include the wonderful illustrations of the original, you will probably still find much of interest.

Browse to an article on a topic of interest to you. Comment on what you found particularly interesting in that article.

Rousseau's Ribbon Story (extra credit)

As part of my introduction to Rousseau, I retell his "ribbon story."  I have to shorten things up quite a bit, and my cartoon version may be a bit misleading.  Please read the original version of the ribbon story and
compare it to the version of the story I told in class.  How does reading the original version of the story add to your impressions of Rousseau?  Do you find yourself more sympathetic to him or less sympathetic to him?  Does the version of the story I told you in class seem close enough to the original, or do you think that students definitely should read the original version and draw their own conclusions?