Inherently Interesting 2009

Machiavelli

2009-04-20T16:44:00.003-07:00

Please read Chapters 15-19 of Machiavelli's The Prince (either pp. 84-104 of the Signet edition or at the link below).

Add a comment or two here giving your impressions of Machiavelli. Try to say something that would help another students trying to prepare on essay on Renaissance achievements.

http://www.fordham.edu/HALSALL/basis/machiavelli-prince.html

Picco della Mirandola

2009-04-20T16:44:00.001-07:00

Renaissance humanists had a very positive view of mankind. They greatly appreciated past human achievements, and had an exceptionally high view of human potential . Read through some of Pico della Mirandola's Oration on the Dignity of Man at the link below. Cite a line or two that particular well illustrates Pico's "humanism," i.e., either his appreciation for the past or his optimism about human potential. As an alternative, just cite a line that you particularly like from this work and explain why you like it.

http://www.cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/Mirandola/

Boccaccio

2009-04-20T16:43:00.001-07:00

Read Boccaccio's account of the plague in Florence at the link below. What can you tell about Boccaccio's values and concerns from this account? In what ways might seeing the kinds of things he describes affect his writing and his general view of life?

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/decameronintro.html

Trojan Women--Extra Credit

2009-02-27T10:35:00.001-08:00

The Greeks regarded the words of their great playwrights as "theopneutos," i.e., God-breathed. Do you agree? Cite a line or two from Euripides' "Trojan Women" that might show why the Greeks regarded writers like Euripides as almost equivalent to prophets. Explain why you find this line/these lines inspired or inspiring.

Daniel (Extra Credit)

2009-02-06T09:57:00.001-08:00

Please read Chapters 1-7 and Chapter 12 of Daniel. Pick out a verse or passage that seems to you a good example of the way the Hebrews provided ethical guidance or emotional fulfillment to the members of their society. If you like, you might also comment on how the ideas in that verse/passage might have helped Judaism survive despite the many challenges and threats the Jews have faced through history.

Welcome!

2009-01-14T14:22:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Inherently Interesting 2009, the most wonderful, most interesting, and most important blog at this particular URL. Your comments and questions on this blog will help make the class even more wonderful and interesting--and occasionally earn you a bit of extra credit!

To get started, here's a test of the History 121 extra credit system. Click the "comments" link below and give me your honest answer: what's the first thing that comes into your head when you here the word history?