First Paper Assignment

Write an essay of roughly five to seven pages on one of the three assignments given below.  Make sure to refer directly to the text mentioned in the assignment.  All papers must be typed and double-spaced.  The best essays are those which present a specific argument, rather than simply answering the assignment.  Papers are due in section the week of September 27. 

Please do not hesitate to talk with your GSI about your paper.  We also encourage students to make use of the writing resources on campus.  Finally, in order to ensure you understand the rules about academic honesty at UC-Berkeley, consult the relevant section of the UCB website:  http://uga.berkeley.edu/sas/rights.shtml

Good luck!

1.  How do Machiavelli's Prince, the writings of Martin Luther, and the debate between Juan Gines de Sepulveda and Bartolome De Las Casas contribute to emerging ideas about human nature in 16th century Europe?   How confident are Machiavelli, Luther and others in the capacity of human beings to make decisions that determine their own destinies? 

2,  Drawing on at least 4 authors from the readings for weeks 2 and 3, describe the impact of the conquest of the Americas on the intellectual and political world of Europe. How did the American encounter either challenge or reaffirm European world views?  (Topics to consider for the latter might include the impact on the  authority of classical wisdom, the limits of humanism, and Machiavelli's argument that the final result of political action is more important than the means used to get there.)

3.  Using at least one document from week two, and at least two from week three,

critically discuss the role that religion played in both causing and mitigating conflict in Europe and the Americas.  Based upon the histories revealed in these documents, do you see the institution of European Christianity in particular (and religion in general) as promoting greater human understanding or on the contrary undermining such understanding? 

Main

Texts

Requirements

Schedule / Lecture Outlines

GSIs / Sections