Discovery University

Start Date: Friday, February 9, 2025
Class Times: Fridays: 9:00 – 11:00 A.M
Instructor: Nadia Bozak from Carleton University
Location: University of Ottawa Campus
Course Description:

This course will introduce learners to at least three genres of creative writing, including fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry; however, we will begin with a broader discussion of topics such as what is “craft,” why we write, and how to appreciate that language is cultural and therefore the idea of “good writing” is ideological rather than innate. We will also talk about how important it is to position ourselves as writers and readers when it comes to sharing our words with others and reading the work of others in turn. We will also examine such core elements of fiction as characterization, description, and narrative point of view; how to write about real-life experience in a personal essay; and introduce free verse poetry and prose poetry, concentrating on imagery, enjambment, and tapping into sensory experience.

We aim to instill in learners that the foundation of learning to write is reading widely and letting texts be our teachers. Additionally, learning to see—taking note of the small details that make up the world around us—is fundamental to writing creatively. So is living, as our experience as individuals moving through the world over time is necessarily reflected in the writing we do, directly or indirectly.

Most importantly, we will write during our sessions, share our work and practice offering each other constructive and encouraging feedback. No previous experience is required, though a willingness to participate and share writing with class members is extremely beneficial.

Objectives

• Engage with and discuss key terms and concepts (characterization to enjambment)
• Discuss assigned readings as writers, putting into practice the strategy of text-as-teacher
• Write in-class prompt exercises designed to put terms and concepts into practice and explore our voices and imaginations
• Participate in peer-editing circles, introducing learners to the workshop dynamic and practice giving and receiving constructive feedback

Start Date: Friday, February 7, 2025
Class Times: Fridays: 1:00 – 3:00 P.M.
Student meetings: will occur Wednesday afternoons beginning February 12th
(this is mandatory for those enrolled in this course)
Instructor: Jean-Francois Methot from Saint Paul University
Location: University of Ottawa Campus

Course description:

In this course, the students will be invited to explore the philosophy of history. From a philosophical point of view, history can be seen in a variety of ways.  In the most straightforward way, history is just a kind of object or reality, something that is just “there”.  However, digging a little deeper, history is not simply “there”, but something that needs to be examined and interpreted. History is not simply a chronicle, i.e., just a list of events and their dates.  History is more than that.  Philosophically speaking, history can be seen as a mode of construction, an interpretation of events.  People looking back on history sometimes agree on what exactly happened, but they rarely agree on things like why it happened, who was responsible, and how what happened continues to affect us today.  Indeed, people have different interpretations of history.  This has given rise to different approaches to interpreting history.  Students will learn about several of these different approaches.  Students will learn about the “speculative” approach through readings from Augustine, Vico, Kant, Compte and Hegel (and some of Hegel’s critics, especially Marx and Nietzsche). Students will explore “epistemological” approaches, whether “critical” (R. Aron) or “analytical” (notably Collingwood, Hempel and Dray). Finally, students will investigate “narrativist” approaches, such as Ricoeur’s as well as “post-modernist” and “post-structuralist” approaches, from the likes of Lyotard and Foucault.

Objectives

• Recognize the main traditions or options in philosophy of history.
• Identify the philosophical frameworks in current discussions about history.
• Evaluate, criticize theories and arguments in philosophy of history.