Course Title German Intellectual Tradition: What is Power? Course Number GERM-UA 9244D01, SOC-UA 9942D01 Instruction Mode: In-Person Fall 2022 Lecturer Contact Information Dr. Felix Steilen felixsteilen@nyu.edu Your instructor will inform you about learner hours (one-on-one meetings). Prerequisites None Units Earned 4 Course Details Mondays, 5:15pm-8:00pm Location: Rooms will be posted in Albert before your first class. In the interest of protecting the NYU Berlin community, we are closely following guidance around COVID-19 from the Robert Koch Institute (Germany’s institute for disease control and prevention), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and adjusting our recommendations and policies accordingly. Your health and well-being is our top priority. You are required to adhere to the most recent policies. Please note that you are expected to attend every class meeting in-person; however, this may change at any point during the semester if local COVID-19 regulations so require. You will be assigned a seat on the first day and are expected to use that seat for the entire semester due to NYU COVID-19 safety protocol. 1 Course Description This course examines critiques, ideas and analyses of power through a rich tradition of German-speaking 19th and 20th century social and political thought. A medium which eludes our understanding and defies contestations, power represents a permanent fixture in our lives. From power dynamics in the household to power in the state, from social hierarchies to international relations, from cultural artifacts to religious dogma – a host of widely varying problems hinge on notions of power that are continuously reworked and reimagined. Students read a selection of works by authors such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Sabina Spielrein, Rosa Luxemburg, Bertolt Brecht, Max Weber, Walter Benjamin, Carl Schmitt, Hannah Arendt and Karl Mannheim, as well as relevant commentary. Pioneering radically different and influential interpretations of modern power, these thinkers still inform our understanding of the world. Topics range from the source of our moral ideas to the power of interpretation, critiques of society, psychoanalysis and the relation between power, violence and ideology. This connects to two excursions to historical sites in the Berlin area. Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) ● Analyzing influential social and political theorists and gaining insight into German-speaking intellectual history of the 19th & 20th centuries ● Comprehending power as idea and as reality ● Advancing your comprehension of theoretical treatises and how theoretical knowledge affects society ● Questioning preconceived notions and strengthening critical thinking ● Producing precise arguments, in verbal and in written format ● Developing and modulating your own views in debates about the function, structure and critique of power ● Construing multiperspectivity and enhancing the ability to communicate your views comfortably and in close dialogue with others ● Grasping key philosophical problems of the modern age ● Creating a personal account of contemporary manifestations of power Course Approach to Teaching & Learning (CATL) Starting point of our analyses of the problem of power is the assumption that none of the readings we encounter in this seminar is “dead,” i.e. that they all still speak to present-day readers and thus inform contemporary understandings of the world. The student-centered approach will ensure that these readings resonate with students from a wide variety of backgrounds, with different expectations and experiences. Investigating a range of classical theories of power, this class will provide an in-depth overview of major exponents of the German intellectual tradition. This includes taking into account various historical contexts and stylized conventions. Our discussions are based on readings and concrete historical realities, while aiming for systematization and potentially also time-transcending insights. You will develop and strengthen your writing practice and rhetorical skills through individualized feedback. Assessment Components 1) Active Participation & Discussion 25% 2) Excerpts 15% 3) Polemic Discussion Input 10% 4) Midterm Essay 25% 5) Final Project Presentation 25% 2 (1) Participation in discussions constitutes an important component of course activities and makes up a significant portion of student grades. You will have the opportunity to further explore the course readings, seek clarification, express your views, and engage in discussions. It is understood that participation increases throughout the course of the semester. (2) Students are required to submit 3 relatively short excerpts (250-350 words each, submitted as PDF via email before the respective session). These excerpts serve to develop a habit of regular writing practice and allow you to revisit a text later. An excerpt includes a brief abstract of the reading. It isolates the core of the argument and identifies the main intention of a text (it may use sparse quotations). You may close with related thoughts or add an opinion. The style of the excerpt is distinctly objective and therefore less personal than a reading response, i.e. it is never written as a first-person narrative. You will receive short feedback. (3) Based on one reading, students will generate 1 polemic discussion input. This input, delivered verbally in class, will be around 7-10 minutes. It presents a text through an argument against what you consider to be major flaws of the respective reading. Your argument can deviate from your own opinion, as long as it makes a convincing case against a text we read. The point of this exercise is to train your argumentative skills and to critically reflect on our materials. Ideally, you would not read from a screen and face the class while talking. (4) Students will write 1 midterm essay (ca. 2000 words, +/- 10%, submitted via Brightspace) about a topic from this course. You will be able to choose one out of several questions that are handed out in class. Each essay will receive detailed individual written feedback. (5) At the end of this class, all students will hold 1 final project presentation of around 10-15 minutes (+ a brief Q&A) about a subject chosen in consultation with the lecturer. Relying upon the readings in our class, our classroom discussion and our site visits, investigate, analyze and portray one site of power of special interest to you. Use the questions below to guide your analysis for the final presentation. Not all questions may be relevant, just as others not on the list may be important to your particular analysis. Draw on visual material where they support your argument. In the end, you will deliver your findings in a 10-12 minute presentation. You are free to present with the help of a poster you designed / use powerpoint / read a narrative account of your experience of the site / or you suggest another creative format. We will reserve ample time to discuss the final projects beforehand. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● What makes this a “site of power”? Could we say something here refers to events “beyond” the site itself? How is power mediated? How is it represented (i.e. made present again)? What is the role of iconography at this site? Who is the sponsor (or social agent) responsible for the construction or possibly the reconstruction? What does this specific site of power tell the onlooker, what does it conceal (intentionally or not)? What role does contemporary history and/or location play here? Has the spatio-temporal context changed? Which emotions are evoked in the onlooker? 3 ● What is the symbolism at play here? Refer to properties such as size, color, materials, etc. Failure to submit or fulfill any required component may result in failure of the class, regardless of grades achieved in other assignments. Required Text(s) All electronic resources available via Brightspace. Additional literature available via NYU Library Course Reserves. Please follow this link for the NYU Berlin Library Catalogue or the link on NYU Berlin's website (Academics/Facilities & Services). Session 1 – Monday, 5 Sep 2022 Introduction: Change against Interpretation We will talk about the course objectives and briefly survey this semester’s authors. What does it mean to speak of a German intellectual tradition? We discuss some of the radically different worldviews and methodologies we will encounter. Ample time is devoted to clarifying the course requirements and related questions: How do I write an excerpt? How do participation, excerpt, discussion input, essay and final presentation relate to one another? How do I navigate the distractions of the internet? What are your expectations? As an entry point to discussing power in our seminar, we read Marx’ theses on Feuerbach, culminating in the monumental statement: “Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.” ● Karl Marx: Theses on Feuerbach. In: The Marx-Engels Reader. Second Edition, ed. by Robert C. Tucker. New York 1978, pp. 143-145 Session learning outcomes: understanding basic course concepts / clarifying expectations and requirements / surveying divergent methodologies / engaging an exemplary close-reading Session 2 – Monday, 12 Sep 2022 Good and Evil, High and Low (Friedrich Nietzsche) We approach one of the most compelling and often misunderstood modern theorists of power. The first two essays of Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morality investigate the development of morality as a value system, the internalization of guilt, and the institution of law. What does it mean to think of the world in moral terms? What would it mean not to think of it this way? Does it make sense to understand the world purely through hierarchical concepts? Does it make sense to read the world as a permanent struggle for power? ● Friedrich Nietzsche: On the Genealogy of Morality (1887), Sections I & II. In: Basic Writings of Nietzsche. Trans. and ed. by Walter Kaufmann. New York 2000. pp. 451–532 4 Session learning outcomes: engaging a grand world-historical speculation / evaluating figurative language through exemplary close-readings / reconfiguring, questioning our basic moral concepts / grasping the historicity of feeling, judging and understanding / challenging the explanation of morality as a hidden struggle for power Session 3 – Monday, 19 Sep 2022 Prophetic Power (Friedrich Nietzsche) This session is dedicated to Nietzsche’s version of a modern prophecy. We will clarify some of the most popular and often misinterpreted concepts in Nietzsche, such as the Übermensch, the will to power and the claim that “God is dead.” What does it mean to think of humanity as an “in-between” and what would it mean to go “over” humanity? Should the prophet try to speak to everyone or rather address the few? Is Zarathustra a dangerous, perhaps even a silly man? ● Friedrich Nietzsche: Thus spoke Zarathustra. A Book for All and None (1883 – 85), First Part and additional selected passages. In: Thus spoke Zarathustra. Ed. by A. Del Caro and R. Pippin. Cambridge 2010, pp. 3 – 59, 88 – 90, 109 – 112, 156 – 179 Session learning outcomes: confronting a modern-day prophecy / analyzing what it would mean to retreat from the world / differentiating between author and protagonist / assessing the role of simile and biblical imagery Session 4 – Monday, 26 Sept 2022 Power, Violence, Politics (Carl Schmitt) We venture to look at the distinct political character of power. Is there a political realm of human activity, radically different from other aspects of life? For Schmitt, an intellectual with an ultra-conservative political background (to put it mildly) and considerable polemic qualities, every question in the world is in principle open to political radicalization. This means politics has an intrinsic tendency to impose on all other realms of life, and every opposition of belief can potentially result in a conflict of powers. With Leo Strauss, we look at an important link between German and American political thought. His critique of Schmitt stood the test of time. It is also the only critique Schmitt himself considered to be on equal footing with this work. ● ● Carl Schmitt: The Concept of the Political. Chicago 2007, pp. 19-79 Leo Strauss: Notes on Carl Schmitt’s Concept of the Political (1932). In: Heinrich Meier (ed.), Carl Schmitt and Leo Strauss: The Hidden Dialogue. Chicago 1995 Session learning outcomes: juxtaposing the concepts of violence and power / grasping the political application of theoretical concepts / analyzing juridical categories / questioning the notion of power as conflict 3 Oct 2022 – No Class – Local Holiday Session 5 – Friday, 7 Oct 2022 MIDTERM ESSAY HANDED OUT IN CLASS 5 (We meet at 11.00am in front of the Jewish Cemetery Weißensee, Herbert-Baum-Straße 45, 13088 Berlin) Sublime Historical Experience (WALTER BENJAMIN) Today’s session combines a philosophic reading and the question of power and memory. We will visit Europe’s largest Jewish cemetery, located in the eastern district of Weißensee. Testament to various aspects of Jewish life in Berlin, the cemetery is a reminder of the immensity of a historical loss. Established in the 1880s and quickly expanding afterwards, it lay dormant since the 1930s, followed by decades of neglect. A veritable city of the dead, the site allows for a glimpse into various historical layers. Benjamin’s short and dense philosophical reflection proposes the image of history as an angel in a storm. Various 1980s newspaper snippets remind us what Weißensee meant to visitors whose family members never escaped Germany. (Men are required to wear hats on site or borrow a kippah.) ● ● ● Walter Benjamin: Theses on the Philosophy of History (1940). In: Selected Writings, 4: 1938-1940, ed. by Harald Eiling & Michael W. Jennings. Cambridge 2003. Pp. 389400 Richard Kostelanetz: A Lost World Interred in Berlin. In: New York Times, Nov 8, 1987 Diverse: Letters to the Editor, New York Times: October 3, 1982 / May 1, 1984 / Dec 13, 1987 Session learning outcomes: encountering an instance of frozen historical time / explaining the trifold relation between tragedy, history and memory / confronting the power and void of historical memory Session 6 – Monday, 10 Oct 2022 Communicative Power (Hannah Arendt, Jürgen Habermas) Hannah Arendt’s political thought stands in crass opposition to what we encountered last week. For her, the extreme case of power is all-against-one; the extreme case of violence is one against all. This points to the communicative aspect of political power: citizens coming together deliberating the practical foundations of their collective life. Hence, it is hardly surprising that Habermas, the theorist of “communicative action” identifies a worthy precursor in Arendt. Is power simply collective agreement? Is truth nothing more than shared truth? And what are the limits of collective action and of civil disobedience? ● ● Hannah Arendt: Civil Disobedience. In: Crises of the Republic. New York 1972, pp. 49-102 Jürgen Habermas: Hannah Arendt’s Communications Concept of Power. In: Social Research 44/1, 1977, pp. 3-24 Session learning outcomes: illuminating basic questions of political philosophy / considering the collective as a social force / demystifying ideas about collective rationality and social progress Session 7 – Monday, 17 Oct 2022 Revolution and Socialism (Rosa Luxemburg, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon) “Property is impossible, because, if it exists, society devours itself.” We will briefly leave the German-speaking world in order to examine P.J. Proudhon, the rhetorical genius of 19th 6 century French socialism. Marx’s condemnation almost eradicated this anarchist-socialist writer from the socialist tradition. We revisit Proudhon’s critique of property as a fundamental critique of social power relations. Afterwards, we look at a failed socialist revolution. Rosa Luxemburg, the most influential woman in interwar politics, describes the tragic circumstances of the failed November Revolution of 1918/1919. “Order Reigns in Berlin” is the title of an account she wrote for a worker’s newspaper. Only days later, militiamen murdered Luxemburg in the Tiergarten, throwing her body into the adjacent Landwehr Canal. ● ● Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: The Idea of a Revolution; That Property Is Impossible. In: The Works of P.J. Proudhon. Vol. 1. What is Property?, pp. 11-40, pp. 151-167; 183-223 Rosa Luxemburg: The Beginning / The Socialization of Society / What does the Spartacus League Want? / Our Program and the Political Situation / Order Reigns in Berlin (1918-1919). In: The Rosa Luxemburg Reader. Ed. By Peter Hudis and Kevin B. Anderson. New York 2004, pp. 342-379 Session learning outcomes: apprehending the idea of socialism / discerning between truth and rhetoric / exploring different socialist critiques / disentangling the parallel historical development of progress and destruction MIDTERM ESSAY DUE MIDNIGHT BEFORE CLASS ● to be submitted only via Brightspace, no late submissions accepted Session 8 – Monday, 24 Oct 2022 Capital and Invisible Market Forces (Karl Marx) Arguably the most influential social theorist of the modern age, Marx is often quoted and seldomly read. After a brief self-assessment by Marx, we discuss a sample of his main work “Das Kapital.” What explains the eminently political nature of economic questions? What is the meaning of “commodity fetishism” in modern life? Are our thoughts commodities? What are invisible power structures? Marx famously advanced conclusions about a universal upheaval and about a radical remodeling of politics and society. ● ● [Marx on the History of His Opinions] (1859). In: The Marx-Engels Reader. Second Edition, ed. by Robert C. Tucker. New York 1978., pp. 3–6 Capital, vol. I (1867), selected passages. In: The Marx-Engels Reader. Second Edition, ed. by Robert C. Tucker. New York 1978, pp. 294 – 376 Session learning outcomes: Accessing a ground-breaking critique of power / understanding fundamental concepts (philosophical materialism, value, commodity) / debating the underlying notion of impersonal power and self-righteous truth claims Session 9 – Monday, 31 Oct 2022 Capitalism and the Power of Belief (Max Weber) Today, we look at the coming into being of modern capitalism, understood as a way of economizing and as a form of life. Is it legitimate to give abstract names to concrete things? More specifically, to draw conclusions from our everyday thoughts and practices and relate these to the way things are in general? Weber's overarching narrative explains the slow remodeling of church doctrine into inner-worldly practices and ideas. This allows us to further discuss capitalism as a modern life force, and Christian religion as the silent or not so silent 7 characteristic in the Western tradition. We further consider the case of a German intellectual coming to terms with American life. Coincidentally, today is Reformation Day which is no longer a German holiday. ● ● Max Weber: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904/1905). Talcott Parsons, R. H. Tawney (eds.). London 1930, pp. tba Daniel Bell: The Protestant Ethic. In: World Policy Journal, 13/1, 1996, pp. 35-39 Session learning outcomes: connecting the spheres of religion and society / exploring the shaping role of ideas and the confluence of practices and ideas / differentiating philosophical nominalism and realism / applying Weberian systematization to the contemporary world Session 10 – Monday, 7 Nov 2022 Conservation or Utopia? (Karl Mannheim) First Discussion of Ideas for the Final Projects This session is devoted to the question of ideology and so-called false consciousness. Karl Mannheim, founder of the sociology of knowledge, examines the relation between power and systems of belief. Why do we constantly dream up future utopias in order to talk about the world as it is? Does the same happen when we invoke images of the past? Mannheim reflects these questions in an essay on conservative weltanschauung, that is, conservatism as a comprehensive way of understanding the world and relating to it. ● Karl Mannheim (1927): Conservative Thought. In: K. Wolff (ed.), From Karl Mannheim. New York 1971, pp. 132-222 Session learning outcomes: Thinking power as ideology and vice versa / connecting temporal visions with politics / debating justifications of politics in a historical context / negotiating ideological elements today / identifying interanimations in this semester’s readings Session 11 – Monday, 14 Nov 2022 Fascism (Bertolt Brecht) Second Discussion of Ideas for the Final Projects A sheer endless array of authors has grappled with the question how “it” was possible: How the fascists were able to overtake the German state, how a majority of ordinary Germans ended up backing a brutal dictatorship, how a civilization could derail etc. Bertolt Brecht escaped national socialism and tried to process Hitler’s seemingly unchecked rise to power with a theater play: Transferring the scenery from Berlin to Chicago, he chose a parable to talk about the German situation. This means we exchange the realm of social and political theory for one of literature and epic theater. Will the outcome be much different? Does the question “what could have been?” make sense in the real world? ● Bertolt Brecht: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (1941). Willett, John (ed.) and Manheim, Ralph (trans. & ed.). New York 1981, pp. 2-99 Session learning outcomes: entering literature as a site of politics / understanding fascism as power perversion / weighing the creative means: theatre – theory / assessing the notions of collective murder and social evil 8 Session 12 – Monday, 21 Nov 2022 Remembering, Repeating, Working-Through (Sigmund Freud) Guest Lecturer: Dr. Keren Shafir According to Foucault, there were three major instances where science has imposed on human vanity and its belief in the limitless power of man: These are connected with the names of Copernicus, Darwin and Freud. The latter shows us how little power we have over what we think are conscious acts. Instead of exploring this idea theoretically, we look at what this means in practical terms. We continue our discussion of Freud with a case study commonly referred to as “Rat Man.” Freud claimed that his patient was cured by psychoanalysis. The reading allows for a glimpse into psychoanalytic practice: What is transmission? What is obsessive neurosis? When does thinking become harmful? We are joined today by a scholar and trained psychologist from Tel Aviv. ● Sigmund Freud: Notes upon a Case of Obsessional Neurosis (1909). In: The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Vol. X. Two Case Histories ('Little Hans' and the 'Rat Man'). Ed. By J. Strachey, A. Freud, A. Strachey, A. Tyson. London 2001, pp. 158–249 Session learning outcomes: Encountering the psychological dimension of power / mapping the outline of a theory of the mind / approaching the “talking cure” and the psychological analysis of individual trauma / debating with a Freud scholar Session 13 – Monday, 28 Nov 2022 Lust and Destruction (Sabina Spielrein, Sigmund Freud) Beginning of the Final Presentations As Nietzsche told us a few weeks ago: the majority of moral philosophy builds on liquid ground in assuming that we simply want to maximize pleasure and minimize discomfort. Sabina Spielrein and Sigmund Freud again complicate matters in that they attempt to show how we often derive pleasure from pain. Myth and literature have communicated this knowledge for centuries, but modern science has been blind to this problem. We will start out from Spielrein’s essay and then read Freud, the maestro, through her lens. What is the relation between death and becoming, decay and renewal? ● ● Sabina Spielrein: Destruction as the Cause of Coming into Being (1912). In: Journal of Analytical Psychology 39, 1994, pp. 155-186 Sigmund Freud: Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1920), selected passages. In: The Freud Reader. Ed. by Peter Gay. London 1995. pp. 594 – 626. Session learning outcomes: investigating a special case of psychoanalytic theorizing / determining the relation between creation and destruction / recognizing unintended drives behind willful intentions / delineating the notions “individual-“ and “collective unconscious” / synthesizing our discussions Session 14 – Monday, 5 Dec 2022 Sites of Power Resuming of the Final Presentations of around 10-15min (including a short Q&A) 9 Monday, 12 Dec 2022 – No Class – Compensation for Excursion on Friday, 7 October Recommendations for a Positive Teaching and Learning Environment Timeliness is crucial. Please make sure to always be ready for class on time in order to allow for concentrated discussions and for a positive atmosphere in our seminar. Please refrain from eating in class. Exceptions will be made for students with academic accommodations from the Moses Center. You can always voice any concerns and constructive criticisms directly to your lecturer, either during or after the class. Suggested Learning Opportunities that Relate to our Course November 4 (tbd), Excursion to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp (located in Oranienburg, close to Berlin). Your Lecturer Felix Steilen studied sociology and politics at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He was a visiting graduate student in the New School for Social Research (NYC), in the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, at Tel Aviv University and held postdocs at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt and Freie Universität Berlin. Currently, he is a postdoc at the Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture - Simon Dubnow (in Leipzig). He works on various aspects of 19th and 20th century social and political thought. Academic Policies Grade Conversion Your lecturer may use one of the following scales of numerical equivalents to letter grades: A = 94-100 or 4.0 A- = 90-93 or 3.7 B+ = 87-89 or 3.3 B = 84-86 or 3.0 B- = 80-83 or 2.7 C+ = 77-79 or 2.3 C = 74-76 or 2.0 C- = 70-73 or 1.7 D+ = 67-69 or 1.3 D = 65-66 or 1.0 F = below 65 or 0 Attendance Policy Studying at Global Academic Centers is an academically intensive and immersive experience, in which students from a wide range of backgrounds exchange ideas in discussion-based seminars. Learning in such an environment depends on the active participation of all students. Since classes typically meet once or twice a week, even a single absence can cause a student to miss a significant portion of a course. To ensure the integrity 10 of this academic experience, class attendance at the centers is expected promptly when class begins. Attendance will be checked at each class meeting. As soon as it becomes clear that you cannot attend a class, you must inform your professor and/or the Academics team (berlin.academics@nyu.edu) by e-mail immediately (i.e. before the start of your class). Absences are only excused if they are due to illness, Moses Center accommodations, religious observance or emergencies. Your professor or site staff may ask you to present a doctor's note or an exceptional permission from an NYU Staff member as proof. Emergencies or other exceptional circumstances that you wish to be treated confidentially must be presented to NYU Berlin’s director or Wellness Counselor. Doctor's notes must be submitted in person or by e-mail to the Academics team, who will inform your professors. Unexcused absences may be penalized with a two percent deduction from the student’s final course grade for every week's worth of classes missed, and may negatively affect your class participation grade. Four unexcused absences in one course may lead to a Fail in that course. Being more than 15 minutes late counts as an unexcused absence. Furthermore, your professor is entitled to deduct points for frequently joining the class late. Exams, tests and quizzes, deadlines, and oral presentations that are missed due to illness always require a doctor's note as documentation. It is the student's responsibility to produce this doctor's note and submit it to site staff; until this doctor's note is produced the missed assessment is graded with an F and no make-up assessment is scheduled. In content classes, an F in one assignment may lead to failure of the entire class. Regardless of whether an absence is excused or not, it is the student's responsibility to catch up with the work that was missed. Final exams Final exams must be taken at their designated times. Should there be a conflict between your final exams, please bring this to the attention of the Academics team. Students should not plan to leave the site before the end of the finals period. Late Submission of Work (1) Work submitted late receives a penalty of 2 points on the 100 point scale for each day it is late (including weekends and public holidays), unless an extension has been approved (with a doctor's note or by approval of NYU Berlin's administration), in which case the 2 points per day deductions start counting from the day the extended deadline has passed. (2) Without an approved extension, written work submitted more than 5 days (including weekends and public holidays) following the submission date receives an F. (3) Assignments due during finals week that are submitted more than 3 days late (including weekends and public holidays) without previously arranged extensions will not be accepted and will receive a zero. Any exceptions or extensions for work during finals week must be discussed with the Site Director, Dr. Gabriella Etmektsoglou. (4) Students who are late for a written exam have no automatic right to take extra time or to write the exam on another day. 11 (5) Please remember that university computers do not keep your essays - you must save them elsewhere. Having lost parts of your essay on a university computer is no excuse for a late submission. Academic Honesty/Plagiarism As the University's policy on "Academic Integrity for Students at NYU" states: "At NYU, a commitment to excellence, fairness, honesty, and respect within and outside the classroom is essential to maintaining the integrity of our community. By accepting membership in this community, students take responsibility for demonstrating these values in their own conduct and for recognizing and supporting these values in others." Students at Global Academic Centers must follow the University and school policies. NYU takes plagiarism very seriously; penalties follow and may exceed those set out by your home school. Your lecturer may ask you to sign a declaration of authorship form, and may check your assignments by using TurnItIn or another software designed to detect offenses against academic integrity. The presentation of another person’s words, ideas, judgment, images, or data as though they were your own, whether intentionally or unintentionally, constitutes an act of plagiarism. It is also an offense to submit work for assignments from two different courses that is substantially the same (be it oral presentations or written work). If there is an overlap of the subject of your assignment with one that you produced for another course (either in the current or any previous semester), you MUST inform your professor. For guidelines on academic honesty, clarification of the definition of plagiarism, examples of procedures and sanctions, and resources to support proper citation, please see: NYU Academic Integrity Policies and Guidelines NYU Citations Style Guide Inclusivity Policies and Priorities NYU’s Office of Global Programs and NYU’s global sites are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. In order to nurture a more inclusive global university, NYU affirms the value of sharing differing perspectives and encourages open dialogue through a variety of pedagogical approaches. Our goal is to make all students feel included and welcome in all aspects of academic life, including our syllabi, classrooms, and educational activities/spaces. Attendance Rules on Religious Holidays Members of any religious group may, without penalty, excuse themselves from classes when required in compliance with their religious obligations. Students who anticipate being absent due to religious observance should notify their lecturer AND NYU Berlin’s Academics team in writing via e-mail one week in advance. If examinations or assignment deadlines are scheduled on the day the student will be absent, the Academics team will schedule a make-up examination or extend the deadline for assignments. Please note that an absence is only excused for the holiday but not for any days of travel that may come before and/or after the holiday. See also University Calendar Policy on Religious Holidays. 12 Pronouns and Name Pronunciation (Albert and Zoom) Students, staff, and faculty have the opportunity to add their pronouns, as well as the pronunciation of their names, into Albert. Students can have this information displayed to faculty, advisors, and administrators in Albert, Brightspace, the NYU Home internal directory, as well as other NYU systems. Students can also opt out of having their pronouns viewed by their instructors, in case they feel more comfortable sharing their pronouns outside of the classroom. For more information on how to change this information for your Albert account, please see the Pronouns and Name Pronunciation website. Students, staff, and faculty are also encouraged, though not required, to list their pronouns, and update their names in the name display for Zoom. For more information on how to make this change, please see the Personalizing Zoom Display Names website. Moses Accommodations Statement Academic accommodations are available for students with documented and registered disabilities. Please contact the Moses Center for Student Accessibility (+1 212-998-4980 or mosescsd@nyu.edu) for further information. Students who are requesting academic accommodations are advised to reach out to the Moses Center as early as possible in the semester for assistance. Accommodations for this course are managed through NYU Berlin. Bias Response The New York University Bias Response Line provides a mechanism through which members of our community can share or report experiences and concerns of bias, discrimination, or harassing behavior that may occur within our community. Experienced administrators in the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) receive and assess reports, and then help facilitate responses, which may include referral to another University school or unit, or investigation if warranted according to the University's existing Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. The Bias Response Line is designed to enable the University to provide an open forum that helps to ensure that our community is equitable and inclusive. To report an incident, you may do so in one of three ways: ● Online using the Web Form ● Email: bias.response@nyu.edu ● US Phone Number: +1 212-998-2277 ● Local Number in Berlin: +49 (0) 30 2902 91277 Please consider the environment before printing this syllabus. If printing is necessary, please select only the essential page range. 13