Courses

Course Descriptions

CTI 301G Introduction to Ancient Greece

This course introduces students to the history, the culture, the religion, and above all the thought of the ancient Greeks. The material for this course will consist almost entirely of primary sources. We will begin with a unit on Greek history in which we will use passages from Thucydides and Herodotus to try to see what was unique about the Greeks and what they saw as unique about themselves. We will then study closely some of the chief literary and philosophic works of ancient Greece, including Homeric Epic, tragedies, and Platonic dialogues.

UGS 303 The Challenge of the Greeks

This course will study works of ancient Greek historians, statesmen, tragic and comic dramatists, and philosophers to explore abiding questions and issues of human existence as they first emerged in the brilliant, tumultuous world of ancient republicanism. We will focus especially on the challenge that philosophic rationalism and science posed to traditional conceptions of justice and religious belief, and the ways in which philosophic thinkers defended their claim to provide the best guidance for life.

CTI 315C The Bible and Its Interpreters

A study of basic religious texts, this course includes both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, examined from various perspectives (including comparative, historical, philosophical, and literary), with emphasis on the fundamental questions and ideas raised in those texts. The course seeks to develop a wide-ranging familiarity with the Jewish and Christian Bibles and with the dominant modes of ancient, medieval, and early modern biblical interpretation. Readings include an extensive range of primary sources, including both the Scriptures themselves and some of their most influential exegetes.

CTI 302  Classics of Social and Political Thought

Explores the origins of social scientific thought in the history of political philosophy and traces the development of one or more of the social sciences in modern times. Focuses on fundamental ideas about human nature, civil society, and politics, explored through reading such authors as Aristotle, Aquinas, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Freud.

GOV 312P Constitutional Principles: Core Texts

This class is a study of the basic principles of American political life: democracy, equality, and liberty. Through a close reading of core texts of the American political tradition, we will attempt to see how these ideals took hold in the US, what arguments were made on their behalf, and what possible pitfalls there are for a society dedicated to those ideals. In exploring the theme of equality in America, a substantial unit will study the theme of slavery and race in America and the writings of African-American thinkers.

Overview of Jefferson Scholars Coursework

 

The Jefferson Scholars Program consists of six related courses, leading to the Certificate in Core Texts and Ideas. This sequence of courses, which can be completed in your first three semesters or spread out over as many semesters as necessary to accommodate the needs of your major, will serve several functions in your academic program.

First, the program gives you the foundation for a rich liberal education with an in-depth exploration of major questions, ideas, and books that have shaped the modern world. The program includes one course in each of four areas, covering the philosophy and literature of ancient Greece, the Bible and its various interpreters, the history of political philosophy, and the founding principles of the United States, plus two electives.

Second, these same course will give you a coherent path through the UT core curriculum. Depending on your selections, you can satisfy the following UT Core requirements with your JSP coursework:

UT Core Courses
Signature Course	UGS 303 Challenge of the Greeks
Social Science	CTI 302 Classics of Social and Political Thought
Visual and Performing Arts	CTI 301G Intro to Ancient Greece
US Government	GOV 312P Constitutional Principles Core Texts

 

Third, when you complete the six courses you will earn the Certificate in Core Texts and Ideas, which will satisfy the minor/certificate requirement for majors that require one, and will provide an additional credential for students in other programs.

 

 

Our area courses introduce students to major works of religion, literature, philosophy, and political thought in the west from ancient to modern times. Electives cover more specialized topics. In all of these courses, students will enter into debates about human nature, ethics, and the meaning of life that have unfolded over centuries and that have profoundly shaped the modern world. 

Required Course Areas

Area 1 Philosophy and Literature of the Ancient World

Classical philosophy and literature primarily from ancient Greece, exploring fundamental questions about human nature, justice, ethics, and humanity's place in the cosmos. Readings include one or more masterpieces of epic or tragedy and one or more dialogues of Plato. One of the following is required:

• CTI 301G Introduction to Ancient Greece (fulfills VAPA core and COLA CEHET requirement, same as CC 301)
• UGS 303 Classical Philosophy and Literature (fulfills Signature Course core requirement)
• UGS 303 The Challenge of the Greeks (fulfills Signature Course core requirement)

 Area 2 Major Texts of World Religion

A study of basic religious texts, including both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, examined from various perspectives, with emphasis on the fundamental questions raised in those texts. One of the following is required:

• CTI 315C The Bible and its Interpreters  (fulfills Communication core requirement, same as RS 315C)   
• CTI 355C Law, Liberty, Faith
• CTI 354L Law and Justice in the Bible                                                     

Area 3 History of Political Philosophy

Introduces the great rival conceptions of the moral basis and goals of political life as elaborated by revolutionary thinkers in the history of political philosophy, including at least one representative each from classical antiquity, the medieval period, the enlightenment, and the late modern critics of the enlightenment. One of the following is required:

• CTI 302 Classics of Social and Political Thought (fulfills Social & Behavioral Science requirements, same as GOV 314E)
• CTI 323 Might and Right Among Nations

Area 4 America's Constitutional Principles

Close readings from primary texts that have shaped or that reflect deeply on American democracy, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, The Federalist Papers, and Tocqueville's Democracy in America. One of the following is required:

• GOV 312P Constitutional Principles: Core Texts (fulfills half of Govt core requirement when paired with GOV 310L)
• GOV 379C Regime Perspectives on American Politics

In addition to the four required areas, the CTI certificate includes two upper-division electives, or 6 hours of coursework. Student can choose between any of the CTI electives and a wide variety of qualifying courses from many departments across the College of Liberal Arts.