Aiming to shed critical and constructive light on a contemporary world facing both the threat of ecological disaster and the failure of democratic norms and institutions, this course focuses on a range of American writers and thinkers—from Walt Whitman to Galway Kinnell—for whom our human relations with nature and the relations of democratic political life are intimately tied to one another—and according to whom those relations must be understood first not in terms of scientific reason or technical expertise but in terms of moral and religious sensibilities whose cultivation would require education and creative practice in the philosophical, literary, and artistic domains.
4
UnitsOptional
Grading1, 2, 3
PasstimeUpper division only
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeHe likes to poke fun at his students so don't talk unless you want to talk to him regularly while the whole class listens. Sometimes the things he said in class rubbed me the wrong way and were disrespectful. I didn't do any of the readings, just went to all the lectures , and took notes there and got a B+. 20% final, midterm, section, and 2 papers
If you are not particularly interested in religious studies I would avoid taking this class. A lot of reading and writing in this class. Since I was not particularly interested in this subject I struggled finding motivation to complete the assignments. Professor Carlson teaches like he's having a conversation with you, which has its pros and cons.
Professor Carlson is by far my favorite professor. I really enjoy that he does not use slides but rather engages with his students during the lecture. I felt by the end of the year, I genuinely knew the guy. TAKE THIS CLASS. I learned more with Carlson than I have in any other course, you just have to be willing to put the work in.
Many of us took the class after seeing his welcoming personality on day one. But with time, you will get fed up because professor's grading style is very unfair and does not enable creativity. He does not like it when you change the words that he said even slightly. That is a sign that he does not know what he is doing. Take another class.
If you have the chance to take this class, DEFINETLY DO! But if you are anticipating a busy quarter, DEFINETLY DO NOT! This class is very difficult and only rewarding if you are able to put the time into engaging with the readings. Prepare to make yourself into a funny character for Prof Carlson to play games with or do not speak in class.
If you enjoy writing and philosophy, you'll love this class. Took it last year and I still connect concepts we learned with current events and general happenings. Carlson involves students in his "lectures", which are more like talks if anything, making him very personable. Also Shelby was an amazing TA.
David Walker
4.4
Kathleen Moore
2.6