American Intellectuals Responding to the Challenges of the Contemporary World 4219-SB074
The course presents some of the most important ideas and theories introduced to academic and political discourse by American thinkers within the last few decades. It covers books and articles which have been widely recognized and discussed not only within the United States but in the whole academic and intellectual world. Some of those ideas are still influencing contemporary American politics and social affairs. It presents the works of several important intellectuals, political and social thinkers attempting to describe the contemporary world, globalized society and the place of the USA in it.
During the course we will discuss:
• the concept of the end of history (Fukuyama);
• the theory of the clash of civilizations (Huntington);
• the vision of globalization as the MacDonaldization of the world (Ritzer);
• Jihad vs McWorld theory of globalization (Barber);
• consumer society (Barber);
• modern media and their influence on contemporary world;
• the future of Euro-Atlantic relations (Kagan);
• soft power (Nye);
• the concept of the “revolt of the elites” and the anti-democratic turn;
• how social media and smartphones transformed contemporary society and culture.
Type of course
Mode
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
KNOWLEDGE
Upon completing this course a student:
- has knowledge concerning contemporary intellectual and political debates in America;
- is familiar with chosen works of contemporary American thinkers;
- is aware of different aspects of USA – Europe relations in their political and economic context;
- has a general understanding of the major changes that have occurred within contemporary western societies and culture within the last few decades.
SKILLS
Upon completing this course a student:
- identifies important contemporary American public intellectuals and thinkers;
- understands and analyzes how ideas influence public actions and political platforms of both major parties in the U. S.;
- recognizes the relations between contemporary American politics (both domestic and international) and the works of discussed authors.
SOCIAL COMPETENCE
Upon completing this course a student:
- is able to discuss the emergence, evolution and current state of debates on important issues concerning American political and social life;
- initiates discussions on topics covered during the course;
-comments on both American intellectual debates and contemporary social and political issues.
Assessment criteria
Course requirements:
1. Class attendance and participation in class discussions - up to 15 pts
2. Three reaction papers (2-3 pages) – up to 5 points for each
Grading:
0-12 pts = 2 (fail)
13-15 pts = 3
16-18 pts = 3+
19-21 pts = 4
22-24 pts = 4+
25-27 pts = 5
28-30 pts = 5!
Ad. 1) You can miss 2 classes without any excuse and consequences. Every next absence should be made up (either by an oral answer during the office hours or by sending me by email a short - 3 pages - summary of the literature and topic covered during the missed class). Every absence above a 2-absences-limit which has been not made up affects your final grade (deducts one point). Missing 5 or more classes results in failing the course (unsatisfactory grade in both terms).
For active participation in class discussions and in-group work students will be awarded additional points (up to 15 during the semester). No points will be awarded for the mere (passive) presence in the classroom. Presence is a formal pre-requisite of passing the course.
Students are supposed to read the assigned readings before the class and be prepared for discussion. Occasionally, pop-up quizzes may be organized in order to verify whether students had read the texts. Failing the pop-up quiz is treated as missing the class.
Ad. 2) Topics of reaction papers will be published at the course website (e-Kampus).
Bibliography
Barber Benjamin (A), “Jihad Vs. McWorld”, The Athlantic Monthly, March 1992
Barber Benjamin (A), “Beyond Jihad Vs. McWorld”, The Nation Magazine, January 21, 2002
Barber Benjamin (A), “Jihad Vs. McWorld Revisited: Opening Democratic Front in the Fight Against Terrorism”, The Berlin Journal, Autumn 2001
Barber Benjamin (B), “Comsumed: The Fate of Citizens Under Capitalizm Triumphant”, Taipei 2006
Barber Benjamin (C), “Fear's Empire: War, Terrorism, and Democracy”, New York – London: W. W. Norton & Company 2002
Bell Daniel, “The ‘Intelligentsia’ in American Society”, The Winding Passage: Sociological Essays and Journeys, New Brunswick, N. J.: Transaction Publishers 1991, p. 119-137
Bratspies Rebecca M., “This Too Shall Pass: A Response to Kagan’s Power and Weakness”, German Law Journal, vol. 04, no. 09
Brennan, Against Democracy, Princeton: Princeton University Press 2016
Carr Nicholas, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", The Atlantic, July/August 2008
Cole Darrell, “Good Wars”, First Things, October 2001
Cole Darrell, “Listening to Pacifists”, First Things, August/September 2002
Frankfurt Harry, “On Bullshit”, Raritan, Vol. 6, No. 2, Fall 1986
Fukuyama Francis, “The End of History”, The National Interest, Summer 1989
Furedi Frank, Where Have All the Intellectuals Gone? Confronting 21st Century Philistinism, Bloomsbury Publishing 2004
Graeber David, “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs: A Work Rant”, theanarchistlibrary.org, 2013
Haidt Johnathan, The Anxious Generation. How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, New York: Penguin Press 2024
Huntington Samuel (A), “No Exit. The Errors of Endism”, The National Interest, Fall 1989
Huntington Samuel (B), “The Clash of Civilizations”, Foreign Affairs, Summer 1993
Huntington Samuel (C), “The Clash of Civilizations Revisited”, New Perspectives Quarterly, Winter 2007
Huntington Samuel (D), Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity, New York: Simon & Schuster 2004, p. 8-17, 37-74, 141-177.
Kagan Robert, “Power and weakness”, Policy Review, 113
Kurtz Stanley, “The Future of ‘History’”, Policy Review, 113 (June – July 2002)
Lash Christopher, “The Revolt of the Elites”, Harper’s Magazine, November 1994
Lightman Alan, “The role of Public Intellectual” (http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/papers/lightman.html)
Nichols Tom, "The Death of Expertise" (http://tomnichols.net/blog/2013/12/11/the-death-of-expertise/)
Nye Joseph S. "Soft Power", Foreign Affairs, No. 80, Autumn 1990
Nye Joseph S. Soft Power: the means to success in world politics, New York: Public Affairs 2006
Postman Neil, Amusing Ourselves to Death. Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, New York: Penguin Books 2006
Putnam Robert, “Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital", Journal of Democracy, January 1995
Putnam Robert, Sander Thomas, "Stil Bowling Alone? The Post 9/11 Split", Journal of Democracy, Volume 21, Number 1, January 2010
“Responses to Fukyama”, The National Interest, Summer 1989
Ritzer George, "The McDonaldization of Society", Journal of American Culture, Vol. 6, Issue 1, Spring 1983
Said Edward, “The Clash of Ignorance”, The Nation, October 4, 2001
Sartori Giovanni, Homo videns: Television, Internet, and Post-Thinking.
Senett Richard, The Corrosion of Character. The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism, London – New York: W. W. Norton & Company 1998
Sennett Richard, The Culture of New Capitalism, New Haven & London: Yale University Press 2006
Wieseltier Leon, “Spoiler at the Party”, The National Interest, Fall 1989
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: