UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures Russian 1210. Man and Superman: Representations of the Superior Individual in Philosophy and Culture Theodora Kelly Trimble Fall 2013 tht4@pitt.edu 316 Old Engineering Hall Office: 1417 Cathedral of Learning MW: 4:30-5:45PM Hours: Tu: 2-3PM, W: 12-1PM, by appointment Credits, Prerequisites, and Format: This course carries three credits and satisfies the general education requirements for second-level literature and comparative foreign culture. It is intended for upper-level undergraduates with prior university-level literature experience and basic writing abilities. The course meets twice a week and combines lecture and discussion. Course Description and Goals: In 1866, in an apartment building in St. Petersburg, Russia, Rodion Romanovich Raskol'nikov decides to rid the world of evil by murdering an old pawnbroker with an axe. The complex actions of this young student the protagonist of Dostoevsky s novel, Crime and Punishment (1866) have since inspired a number of texts that address, develop, and recast the questions that Dostoevsky raises about the scope of individual power in modern society. These include: 1. Social questions: Is there such a thing as a superior individual? What traits must one have to become such an individual and who endows him/her with this title? What kind of social environment inspires (or deludes) people with the ideal of the Superman? 2. Philosophical questions: What marks the threshold between man and god? What power founds human law? Can superhuman will overcome mere human desire? Is action only pure if it is free of rational thought? 3. Moral questions: What (if anything) are the obligations of the Superman to others? Does the Superman relate to others differently from ordinary men? What is the meaning of the Superman s confession? 4. Political questions: How well do different political systems succeed in realizing human (or superhuman) potential? What forms of modern power promote the myth of the Superman? Is the Superman necessarily a revolutionary? Can he alternatively be a model worker or, even, a keeper of the peace?
This course traces the evolution of these questions through a rich tradition of prose, drama, film, and philosophy. Taking Crime and Punishment as our starting point, the course goes on to examine philosophical works by Arthur Schopenhauer, Soren Kierkegaard, and Friedrich Nietzsche alongside several important precursor texts, such as Shakespeare s Macbeth and Stendhal s The Red and the Black. The remainder of the course looks at representations of the superior individual in monumental European texts from the nineteenth century to the present day. These include important works of literature (Camus s Stranger), cinema (Hitchcock s Rope), and a comparative look at the idea of human superiority in liberal democratic and utopian socialist societies. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: analyze several philosophical representations of the Superman and read literary, dramatic, and cinematic texts through the filter of these theories; trace the development of the literary idea of the Superman from Stendhal and Dostoevsky through Platonov and Camus, identifying differences in the work of each; ask thoughtful questions about the place of the individual in modern society, as illuminated by the modern myth of superhumanity Required Texts (available at University bookstore): Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage, 1989. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Ed. George Gibian. Trans. Jessie Coulson. 3 rd ed. NY: Norton, 1989. Platonov, Andrey. Happy Moscow. Trans. Robert Chandler. New York: NYRB, 2012. Stendhal. The Red and the Black. Trans. Robert M. Adams. New York: W. W. Norton, 1969. Zograf, Aleksandar. Regards from Serbia. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf, 2007. *Other required readings are available on Electronic Reserve. Required Films (available in the Media Library or Online): Balabanov, Aleksei. Brother (96 min., 1997). DVD 0589 Bresson, Robert. Pickpocket (76 min., 1959). DVD 3526 Hitchcock, Alfred. Rope (80 min., 1948). DVD 1324 Mikhalkov, Nikita. Burnt by the Sun (134 min., 1994). DVD 4171 Scorcese, Martin. Taxi Driver (114 min., 1976). DVD 415 *On a few occasions during the semester, films will be shown at special screenings outside of class (time TBD). Students who do not attend will be responsible for viewing the films on their own. Viewing guides for all films will be made available by the instructor prior to screenings. Please note that questions on the viewing guides are not to be answered and submitted to the instructor, but are designed to assist students in viewing and interpreting the films (and are an excellent resource for preparing for exams).
Course Requirements and Grading: Attendance & Participation 20%: preparedness for and participation in class discussions Quizzes 15%: quizzes will be unannounced, of which the top three grades will count (no make-up quizzes will be administered). Examinations 40%: the midterm and the final will include a short answer (identification) section and an essay. No make-up exams will be administered except in the case of a family or medical emergency. Essay 25%: 7-10 pages on a topic of the student s choice. Students are required to submit a paper proposal (an abstract) before beginning writing. Students are also required to meet with the instructor at least once regarding their paper topics. Initial meetings with the instructor regarding papers must occur no later than Wednesday, 30 October. Abstracts will not be accepted after Wednesday, 13 November, and 10 points will be deducted for failure to complete this requirement. Papers must be submitted electronically by 11:59PM on Wednesday, 11 December. Requirements for Russian Majors Fulfilling a Capstone: Attendance & Participation 15%: preparedness for and participation in class discussions Quizzes 10%: quizzes will be unannounced, of which the top three grades will count (no make-up quizzes will be administered). Examinations 40%: the midterm and the final will include a short answer (identification) section and an essay. No make-up exams will be administered except in the case of a family or medical emergency. Essay Abstract 10%: 2-3 pages in Russian outlining the thesis and supporting evidence of your final paper. A bibliography of secondary sources must be included. Abstracts may be submitted any time before 13 November. Abstracts will be graded for clarity of writing (including fluency, organization, style, and grammatical accuracy). Research Essay 25%: 7-10 pages on a topic of your choice, using one or more of the Russian texts from the syllabus as your primary focus. Suggested topics will be provided. Some evidence of work with secondary sources is required. Students are required to consult and quote from the original Russian texts. Initial meetings with the instructor regarding papers must occur no later than Wednesday, 23 October. Papers must be submitted electronically by 11:59PM on Wednesday, 11 December. Academic Integrity: By remaining enrolled in the course, students not only agree to abide by the above stipulations, but also understand that the instructor will follow with utmost rigor the rules regarding cheating, plagiarism, etc. spelled out by the University's Academic Integrity policies and procedures http://www.as.pitt.edu/faculty/policy/integrity.html. It is the
students responsibility to familiarize themselves with these regulations and to observe them. Any infraction will be penalized according to these rules. Disability: Students officially registered with the Disability Resources and Services (DRS in William Pitt Union 216, 412-648-7890 or 412-383-7355) should inform the instructor of their disability during the first week of class. Anyone who needs to register with that office should contact DRS at 412-648-7890. Information about URL is available at http://www.drs.pitt.edu/. G-Grade Policy: A G grade will be given only when a student who has been attending the course and has been making regular progress is prevented by a (documented) medical or family emergency from completing the requirements. Students must sign a written agreement to complete all missing requirements (or supplementary work) within one term after receiving the G grade. NO CELL PHONES policy: Students responsible for cell phone interruptions during lectures (ringing, TEXTING) will be asked to leave and receive a zero for the day. Students who show up late or leave early on any particular day risk not being counted as present for that day s class. Schedule of Assignments: subject to revision by instructor *Assignments listed for a particular class session are to be prepared by the student for that class. M 26 August: Welcome; discussion of early supermen: Prometheus, Hercules, Jesus, Satan, Faust, Napoleon, Byron W 28 August: Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Part One M 2 September: Labor Day W 4 September: Crime and Punishment, Parts Two & Three M 9 September: Crime and Punishment, Part Four W 11 September: Crime and Punishment, Part Five
M 16 September: Crime and Punishment, Parts Six & Epilogue W 18 September: Friedrich Nietzsche, The Genealogy of Morals (First Essay, ch. 10-12; Second Essay, ch. 1-6, 16-25); Alexander Pushkin, Mozart and Salieri M 23 September: William Shakespeare, Macbeth W 25 September: Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Prologue, The Pale Criminal, The Friend, Neighbour-Love) M 30 September: Arthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Idea (vol. 3, pp. 107-18; vol. 1, pp. 398-406, 421-30); Pushkin, The Queen of Spades W 2 October: Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Idea (vol. 3, pp. 138-54; vol. 1, pp. 468-74, 482-94); Soren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling ( Problemata: Preliminary Expectoration ) M 7 October: Preliminary meetings regarding final papers; times TBD W 9 October: Review session M 14 October: Fall Break (Class will convene on Tuesday, 15 October) Tu 15 October: MIDTERM EXAMINATION W 16 October: Excerpts from Stendhal, The Red and the Black M 21 October: Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer Sonata W 23 October: Alfred Hitchcock, Rope; Clarence Darrow, The Crime of Compulsion M 28 October: Aleksandar Zograf, Regards from Serbia; Umberto Eco, The Myth of Superman W 30 October: Ayn Rand, The Little Street ; Susan Buck-Morss, Dream and
Awakening M 4 November: Andrey Platonov, Happy Moscow (ch. 1-7) W 6 November: Happy Moscow (ch. 8-13); Platonov, On the First Socialist Tragedy M 11 November: Nikita Mikhalkov, Burnt by the Sun; Hannah Arendt, excerpts from The Origins of Totalitarianism W 13 November: Albert Camus, The Stranger M 18 November: Martin Scorcese, Taxi Driver, Robert Bresson, The Pickpocket W 20 November: Aleksei Balabanov, Brother (Screen in class) M 25 November: Discussion of Balabanov; Final Exam Review W 27 November: Thanksgiving Recess M 2 December: FINAL EXAMINATION W 4 December: No Class. W 11 December: Final papers due electronically by 11:59PM! Have a great break!