We discuss and examine important topics on the history of social thought.
This course focuses on utopianism in the early modern age in Japan. Students will be able to understand the utopian imagination in the era, and its social and cultural backgrounds.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Explain social and cultural characteristics of each era that produced various utopian works.
2) Obtain practical skills required in studying on cultural and intellectual history.
utopia, intellectual history
Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
lectures with slides and video. Group discussion.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Introduction: Historical Approaches to Utopia | |
Class 2 | India: A magician Tenjiku Tokube aims to conquer Japan (1763) | Chikamatsu Hanji, Tenjiku Tokube Sato-no Sugatami, 1763. |
Class 3 | Popular Religion: People dance "Ejanaika" (1867) | Edgerton Herbert Norman, "Okage-Mairi," 1945. |
Class 4 | Peer-review activity and discussion 1 | Edit own paper 1 based on the peer-review. |
Class 5 | utopia and dystopia | |
Class 6 | Unbeaten Tracks in Japan: Isabella Bird discovers an Eden in Tohoku (1878) | Isabella Lucy Bird, Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, 1880. |
Class 7 | Southern Islands: Yanagita Kunio finds a coconut on the Irago shore (1897) | Yanagita Kunio, "Kaijo-no Michi," 1961. |
Class 8 | Peer-review activity and discussion 2 | Edit own paper 2 based on the peer-review. |
Hand out lecture materials
Course materials are provided during class.
paper 1: 40%, paper 2(final paper): 60%
Details will be explained in the first class.
Nothing required
hatter[at]ila.titech.ac.jp
As needed