CLASS 1576 - FWS: War, Politics and Human Nature: The History of Thucydides

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

First-Year Writing Seminar.

J. Rustin.

The war between Athens and Sparta (431-404 BC) as written by Thucydides is recognized as a paradigm for international relations, military strategy and the challenges of political leadership under a democracy. Its admirers range from Colin Powell to Bob Dylan. But Thucydides is also a compelling storyteller, portraying advocates of idealistic patriotism or aggressive brutality, relating episodes of tragic miscalculation or murderous political hysteria. We will study him as a model for observing and understanding the range of actions that humans can take against each other. We will also note what he edits out, but his contemporaries did not: women and the family (Lysistrata), religion (Antigone and Oedipus), and transcendent moral values (Plato’s accounts of Socrates). Requirements include regular participation, presentations on assigned topics, and six essays.