BLOUNT CAPSTONE COURSE

BUI 401

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Our beliefs about the world and our place in it are parts of more comprehensive ways of
conceiving the world. This course will be a study of worldviews and an application of insights
about worldviews to a topic of interest.

OBJECTIVES
First, to understand what a worldview is, how it works, and some of the various competing
worldviews. Second, to learn how apply the insights gained about worldviews.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Participation (20%)
The participation portion of your grade will be based on attendance, and the quality and
quantity of your contribution to discussion. (This course is, after all, a discussion course.) By
quality, I mean the relevance of your contribution, and the insight it reveals. As far as quantity
goes, there is a happy medium: you should feel free to comment throughout class, but without
monopolizing discussion. You will be expected to help lead class discussion with one or two
of your colleagues for one class. Your performance on that exercise will constitute half of
your participation grade.
Midterm Exam (30%)
You will be given a list of essay questions one week prior to the exam. You will be asked
to write an in-class essay on three of the questions. Make-up exams will be offered only at the
discretion of the instructor.
Independent Project (30%)
There will be two components to your grade: First, your project will be evaluated in
terms of its design and execution. Second, it will be expected to engage at least one of the issues
raised in the readings and discussion. Due December 10. The penalty for late work will be up
to one full grade per day after the due date.
Project Proposal, Outline Summary and Presentation (20%)
On Sept. 17, a draft proposal (5%) is due. This will identify and explain what your
project is and how you intend to execute it. The progress report (5%), due Nov. 5, lays out in
more detail the major components of your project, how far along you are and what else needs to
be done to complete your presentation. It will be expected that all of the main components of
your project will be in place even if you have not worked out all the details. Finally, you will

be expected to give a presentation (10%) dealing with the design and execution of the project
and how it engages some issue raised in the readings and discussion. If your project is presented
in a Freshman Foundation Convocation, up to 5% is available for extra-credit.
Texts:
Fyodor Dostoevsky: Grand Inquisitor
Thomas Kuhn: Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Steven Pinker: The Blank Slate
William Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra
E. O. Wilson: Consilience

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
I. The Idea of a Worldview
In this first section we will be introduced to the idea of a worldview, why history suggests there
are such things as worldviews, the components of a worldview, and the implications of the
worldview idea.
Aug. 27: Introduction and class business
Sept 3: Kuhn

Chapter I: Introduction: A Role for History.

Chapter II: The Route to Normal Science.
Chapter IX: The Nature and Necessity of Scientific Revolutions
Chapter X: Revolutions as Changes in Worldview
Chapter XIII: Progress Through Revolutions
Bring to class a written statement of your definition of the term worldview. During class
we will share our definitions and attempt to come up with a workable, comprehensive
definition of the concept.
Also bring a list of three class periods during which you want to lead discussion.

II. The Scientific Consilient Worldview

Here we examine one increasingly influential worldview that is focused on science and what it
tells us about us and our world. We will begin with Wilsons presentation of its framework.
Then we will look at some puzzling phenomena that confront this worldview: mind and the
mental, culture, and values.
Sept. 10: Wilson

Chapter 1: The Ionian Enchantment

Chapter 2: The Great Branches of Learning
Chapter 3: The Enlightenment

Chapter 4: The Natural Sciences

Chapter 5: Ariadnes Thread

Mind and the Mental

Sept. 17: Pinker

Wilson

Chapter 1: The Official Theory

Chapter 2: Silly Putty
Chapter 3: The Last Wall to Fall
Chapter 6: The Mind
Chapter 7: From Genes to Culture

Draft Proposal Due (1-2 pages)

Culture and Politics
Sept. 24: Pinker
Chapter 4: Culture Vultures
Chapter 5: The Slates Last Stand
Chapter 20: The Arts
Wilson

Values and Politics

Oct. 1: Pinker:

Wilson
Oct. 8: Pinker

Wilson

Chapter 8: The Fitness of Human Nature

Chapter 10: The Arts and Their Interpretation
Chapter 9: The Social Sciences

Chapter 6: Political Scientists

Chapter 7: The Holy Trinity
Chapter 15: The Sanctimonious Animal
Chapter 16: Politics
Chapter 11: Ethics and Religion
Chapter 17: Violence
Chapter 18: Gender
Chapter 19: Children
Chapter 12: To What End?

III. Political and Religious Worldviews

In this section we will approach the topic of worldviews indirectly - and more personally - as
expressed through two literary works. What are the consequences of a adopting a particular
worldview?
Oct. 15:

Antony and Cleopatra

Oct. 22:
Dostoyevsky
Bring to class a list of two dates when you will be able to give your presentation. The earlier
dates the better. We will probably do 3-4 presentations a class. The presentation should be
about 30 minutes long.
Oct. 29:

Midterm Exam

Nov. 5:
Presentations
Progress Report due (2-3 pages)
Nov. 12:

Presentations

Nov. 19:

Presentations

Nov. 26:

No class

Dec.3:

Presentations

Dec. 10:

Independent Projects due

INDEPENDENT PROJECTS
Topic:Therearenopriorlimitstopossibletopics.Youwill,however,needtogetyourtopic
approved.Ingeneral,itmustengageaworldviewissue.Aworldviewissueisonethat
addresseshowvariouscommitments,beliefsandvaluesarerelated.Whatthismeanswill
becomeclearoverthenextfewweeks.(SeetheWORLDVIEWShandoutformore
information.)
Approach:Therearenopriorrestrictionsonwhatkindofanapproachyoumaytake.Itmaybe
apaper,aplay,aphotoessay,researchprojectorartproject.Ifyourprojectisnotprimarilya
writtenproject,however,theremustbesomewrittencomponenttoit,explainingthemethodand
goals.
Magnitude:Anappropriatemagnitudeoftheprojectwillbedeterminedbythenatureofthe
project.Aphilosophicalpaper,forinstance,mightbe1015pages.Aplayorresearchpaper
wouldnormallybelonger.Anonwrittenproject(anArtprojectforexample)needstobeofa
correspondingmagnitude,accompaniedbyanessayexplainingtheproject.Therewillbeplenty
ofopportunitiesthroughthedurationofthiscoursetogetagoodsensehowmuchyouneedto
do.
ClassProjectPresentation:Yourpresentationshouldbenomorethan40minuteslong.Itcan
takeanyform:powerpoint,lecture,showandtell,puppets;usewhatevermediumbest
communicateswhatyourprojectisabout.Itisnotnecessarythatyourprojectbecomplete,butit
isnecessarythatitbefarenoughalongforthediscussionassociatedwithyourpresentationtobe
helpful.Thepresentationisdesignedtobepartoftheprojectdevelopment.Ifyoure
presentationischosenforfreshmanConvocation,youmustcondenseitto10minutes.
Recommendations:
1.Pickatopicyoualreadyknowsomethingaboutandhaveaninterestin.
2.Pickatopicthatisthestartofanotherprojectthatyouwanttopursue,orwillbeusefulin
otherways(postgraduateplansgraduate,lawormedicalschool).
3.Startearly.
4.Trytogetasense,earlyon,whattheworldviewconnectionwillbe.
5.Ifyouhavequestions,orwantfeedback,askme!Iwillbehappytoengageyourprojectas
muchasyouwant.Theadvantagewithaskingmeisthatyoucanknowinadvancewhatwill
workandwhatwont.
SampleTopics:
Realization of an Artist Walter Anderson
Religion and Religiosity as Moderators of Just World Beliefs
Performance of Life: the Worldview of Martha Graham0000
The Mahler Marriage: Doomed by Ideals
All for Naught and One for Self Collective and Individualistic Worldviews

Apples and Amish: A Journey to Understand Technology and Society

The Beginning of Human Life
The Evolution of Love
Curandismo and Catholicism in Northern Peru: Heresy or Syncretism?
A Critical Analysis of Matt Cybulskys Worldview (by Matt Cybulsky)
AztecsandChristians:AComparisonofTwoWorldViews
GodsPlaceintheClassroom
ReproductiveGeneticModification:AWorldViewapartfromEugenics
FreedomandtheIndividual
ViolenceandWorldviews
ThereandBackAgainMyJourneythroughtheRealmofFantasy
TheDivineRightofKings
ThePurposelessDrivenLife
ACritiqueoftheorderedUniverse:AWorldviewOfferedbyModernMathematics
EnchantmentintheWorldviewofDonQuixote
FreemasonsandCatholicism:TwoOpposingWorldviews
TheHumanGenomeProject:AParadigmShiftinRacialWorldview?
MaintainingaWorldviewthroughtheEpiscopalChurch
ForaGoodTime,Scrawl:BathroomGraffitiandImpersonalSexinTruckStops
ARighttoDie:EuthanasiaandPhysicianAssistedSuicide
Cadavers,ChalkandCutleryLeonardoanddissection
A Lack of Common Ground, or How Political Ideology Arises from A Worldview
The Progress and Growth of a Toothworm: How Dentistry has change
Laughter and Humor (Human Nature and the Universe)
Maps: How they Represent, Shape and are Worldviews
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Ekphrasis and Worldview
Cultural Constructions in Child Welfare
The Genetic Generation
The Morality of Healing

WORLDVIEWS
Prof. R. Richards
Components of a Worldview:
1. Things
What are the fundamental things that exist? What sorts of things are ruled out?

2. Processes
What are the fundamental processes? How do things interact? What sorts of processes
are ruled out?

3. Problems and Questions

What questions can be answered about things and processes? And what questions are
ruled out. What questions need to be answered?

4. Standards
How should we answer these questions about things and processes? What kinds of
explanation are appropriate? What rules of explanation are there? (Scientific, political,
cultural, theological, etc.)

5. Imaginative engagements
How are imaginations engaged by commitment to specific things, processes and
problems? What are imaginings like? How does the world get imagined in art, literature,
music etc.? What cannot be imagined?

6. Values
Given this commitment to things, processes, problems and standards: How should
people act? What should they do or not do? How should people live? What counts as a
good life, a good person, a good society, and a good world? (Ethical, political, religious
and aesthetic values)