Great Books

The key to the great books approach lies in the method of teaching. Courses feature the Socratic method of questioning and dialogue, are student-centered and discussion-oriented. The Great Books faculty will offer at least one and often more "Great Books Seminars" each semester in this format, and full descriptions are posted to this site. East Carolina University offers a formal minor in Great Books, and also mechanisms by which students may design a major and complete humanities requirements using the Great Books.

The Great Books Minor

The minor in great books requires a minimum of 24 sh, and is an interdisciplinary program housed within the College of Arts and Sciences consisting of seminars on themes in the humanities, natural and social sciences and the arts. Requirements: a minimum of 9 sh of courses above the 2999 level; a maximum of 6 sh may be used to satisfy general education requirements and requirements for the great books minor; a course may not count toward the student's major and the Great Books minor.

Core (Choose 3)

9 s.h.

GRBK 2000 Introduction to the Great Books (3) (FC:HU) (F)
GRBK 3001 Great Books of Science (3)
GRBK 4000 Seminar in the Great Books(3) (FC:HU) (S) (P: GRBK 2000 or consent of instructor)
GRBK 4999 Thesis in the Great Books (3) (WI) (F, S) (P: 15 s.h. of GRBK core and electives, including GRBK 2000, GRBK 4000 or consent of the director)

Electives

15 s.h.

These courses have been chosen as having content regularly included in Great Books programs around the country. If students and faculty identify other appropriate courses or independent study options not featured here, these may be substituted with the permission of the director. These courses are sometimes offered in the Socratic format by participating faculty. In semesters when they are, they will be advertised as such on our website.

GRBK 2000, 3001, and 4000 may be repeated with a change of topic as electives. Choices are as follows:

ART 2905 Masterpieces in the Visual Arts and Literture (3) (FC:FA) P: Non-Art major.
CLAS 2000 Introduction to Classics (Humanities) (3) (FC:HU)
CLAS 2220 Great Works of Ancient Literature I: Greece (3) (FC:HU)
CLAS 2230 Great Works of Ancient Literature II: Rome (3) (FC:HU)
CLAS 2500 Greek Tragedy in Translation (3) (FC:HU)
CLAS 2600 The Power of Images in Classical Greece and Rome (3) (FC:HU)
CLAS 4000 Seminar in Classics (3)
CLAS 4521-2-3 Directed Readings in Classics in Translation (1-2-3) (FC:HU)
ENGL 2100 Major British Writers (3) (WI) (F, S, SS) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 2200 Major American Writers (3) (WI) (F, S, SS) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 3600 Classics from Homer to Dante (3) (WI) (F) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 3610 Human Values in Literature (3) (WI) (F-EY) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 3630 The Bible as Literature (3) (S) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 4010 Medieval Literature (3) (WI) (S-OY) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 4020 Chaucer (3) (WI) (F-OY) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 4030 Milton (3) (WI) (S-EY) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 4070 Shakespeare: The Histories (3) (WI) (F-EY) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 4080 Shakespeare: The Comedies (3) (WI) (F, S, SS) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
ENGL 4090 Shakespeare: The Tragedies (3) (WI) (F, S, SS) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 1200)
FORL 2620 French Literature in Translation (3) (FC:HU)
FORL 2660 Spanish Literature in Translation (3) (FC:HU)
FORL 2665 Don Quixote (3) (WI) (FC:HU)
FORL 2680 German Literature in Translation (3) (FC:HU)
GRBK 2000 Introduction to Great Books (3) (FC:HU) (F)
GRBK 3001 Great Books of Science (3)
GRBK 4000 Seminar in Great Books (3) (FC:HU) (S) (P: GRBK 2000 or consent of instructor)
HIST 3405 History of Ancient Greece (3) (FC: SO)
HIST 3410 History of Ancient Rome (3) (F) (FC: SO)
HIST 4445 The European Enlightenments (3) (F) (FC: SO) (RP: A 3000-level course in history, political science, philosophy and/or Classical Studies)
ITAL 2220 Italian Literature in Translation (3) (FC:HU)
MRST 2000 Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Studies (3) (FC: HU)
MRST 2400 Introduction to Medieval Studies (3) (FC: HU)
MRST 2500 Introduction to Renaissance Studies (3) (FC: HU)
PHIL 1311 Great Philosophers from Antiquity to the Present (3) (FC:HU)
PHIL 1695 Introduction to the Old Testament (3) (F) (FC:HU)
PHIL 1696 Introduction to the New Testament (3) (S) (FC:HU)
PHIL 2691 Classical Islam (3) (S) (FC:HU)
PHIL 2692 Buddhism (3) (S) (FC:HU)
PHIL 3313 Ancient Philosophy (3) (FC:HU) (P: 3 s.h. in PHIL or consent of instructor)
PHIL 3321 Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy (3) (FC:HU) (P: 3 s.h. in PHIL or consent of instructor)
PHIL 3331 Modern Philosophy (3) (FC:HU) (P: 3 s.h. in PHIL or consent of instructor)
PHIL 3350 Great Philosopher (3) (S) (FC:HU) (P: 3 s.h. in PHIL or consent of instructor)
POLS 2070 Introduction to Political Theory (3) (F,S) (FC:SO)
POLS 4371 Western Political Thought I: Moses to Montesquieu (3)
RUSS 3220 Nineteenth Century Russian Literature in Translation (3) (FC:HU) (P: RUSS 2120; or permission of instructor)
RUSS 3221 Twentieth Century Russian Literature in Translation (3) (FC:HU) (P: RUSS 2120; or permission of instructor)

Major Option

To major in the Great Books, one must use the BA / BS in Multidisciplinary Studies. This degree serves two purposes: to allow motivated students to design a unique curriculum in consultation with a faculty mentor, or to provide an umbrella under which small programs like ours may offer a major. Great Books faculty are ready to assist students in designing a curriculum that meets their needs. Interested students should contact the Director of Great Books, John Stevens in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, who can help with declaring this major and will serve as the default mentor and advisor (unless another is desired).

The degree normally consists of 30 s.h. and has two required courses, MULT 3500 (thesis research) and 4999 (thesis). The 54-66 s.h. degree may be completed with an existing minor (or double major) or additional courses as agreed by the mentor and student (24 s.h.). Between the major and minor, at least 24 s.h. must be above 2999. To be eligible for admission, students are to have completed at least 30 sh with a 2.0 gpa.

The most natural format for a major in Great Books consists of the curriculum for the minor and the senior thesis courses (MULT 3500, 4999, 30sh).

Students wishing to make their degree comparable to those of other Great Books programs should add two foreign languages through level 1004, either Classical Greek and German (as at St. John's) or Latin and French (as at St. Thomas More).

The Great Books "Core"

Students who do not wish to major or minor in the great books may still use Great Books Seminars to satisfy general education requirements and are heartily encouraged to do so since these provide the best foundation for further inquiry in any field of study. GRBK 2000 and 4000 satisfy the General Education Humanities requirement, and many of the program electives do as well.