Core 102History and the Modern World

Challenges of Democracy

Roger Williams University  GHH 108

Section 02 LLC T, TH   12:30 PM-1:50 PM

Spring Semester, 2017

Michael R. H. Swanson, Ph. D.

Office: GHH 215

Hours:  M, 12:00-1:00

T, Th,  9:30 - 10:20  Or By Appointment

Phone:  ext 3230

E-mail:  mswanson@rwu.edu

Challenges of Democracy

For Tuesday, April 4

For Thursday, April 6

Download, Annotate according to the Prompt below, the document(s) from Core Canon, and then upload into your Drop Box... Declaration of the Rights of Man   French Parliament after the French Revolution   (1789)

Download, Annotate according to the Prompt below, the document from Core Canon, and then upload into your Drop Box...

Take a few minutes to read the Declaration of the Rights of Man.  The revolution didn't last very long.  I'd like to have you watch the video below on the left before class.  We'll watch the one on the right during class. 

• First Highlight your favorite "right of man".  If you have more than one favorite, highlight more than one.
  

• Then, with a sticky note or markup, indicate why you think that right is important, and then whether you think we've don a good job achieving or maintaining that right in the world of 2017.
  

If you are inspired by the Judy Collins songs, or would like to watch a bit more Marat-Sade. You can do so by watching the playlist below.

From, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792)

  Chap. IX.  Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions

Established in Society

Mary Wollstonecraft, whose daughter, Mary Wollestonecraft Shelley would go on to write Frankstein, was one of Europe's first Feminists.  She didn't play soft with her ideas, either.  Not many of her era agreed with her.  Her personal life was not always happy.  Read the short biography of her provided by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) by clicking here.   In many ways, she was a true equalitarian.  She not only wrote A vindication of the Right of Women, but two years earlier she wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Men. 

As you mark up this document,

• Think about why she calls the effects "pernicious".  Is she being a bit strong here?  If we were to use modern terminology, even slang, what word might we use instead.  Indicate this with a sticky note, or a markup of your choice.
  

• Which of the "effects" do you think the worst?  Number the top three. 
  

• Some of her "effects" are really what we would call "examples".  Consider number six for example.  Do men really make women "miserable" (or at least some women) by focusing on "hotness".  Men in the class, would you consider women at the link "hot" or not?  We'll see if there is a bit of disagreement between the genders.
  

• Number 8 takes us into thinking about issues of social class:  Where does our author consider the best place to be and what are the "pernicious" effects of each of the others?  Would you agree with her? 
  

• In numbers 18 and 19, she takes a whack at war, calling warfare "effeminate"--what does she mean by that?  She also mentions "Rousseau", whom had a great influence on the French Revolution.  Are wars of "defense" the only valid kinds of war?  You might want to look up "preemptive war" and see if you agree with her.  Are preemptive wars valid?
  

• The Dr. Johnson she mentions (# 21)  was a peer of hers.  Can you reason why she chooses to mention him?
  

• She concludes from #26 onwards with discussions of some of the careers women ought to be able to pursue equally with men.  For the women in the class, are you thinking of any of these professions?  If so make an end-note of which ones.  For the men, would you marry a women with a "higher profession" than your own?  Why, or why not?