History 223: Early Modern Europe (Summer 2011)Essay #2 = 25%Schedule of Weekly Readings and Questions
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1. Muir associates the Protestant Reformation with "a major intellectual shift in the understanding of the relationship between human behavior and meaning," a shift "which precipitated a historical revolution in ritual theory" (p. 10). How well does Ritual in Early Modern Europe substantiate Muir's argument about the Reformation?
This question requires a critical evaluation of the book. Please note that "critical" does not necessarily mean "negative." A critical evaluation of a book is a reasoned judgment of a book, not a book report or mere summary of the book. Consider the information that Muir presents and the way in which he presents it. Is it relevant to his argument? Does it provide evidence that contradicts or supports the argument?
2. Did Europe become a disenchanted world in the early modern period? Base your answer on Muir, Ritual in Early Modern Europe and at least three of the essays of Darnton, The Great Cat Massacre.
This question takes its inspiration from Muir's reference to Max Weber (pp. 202-203). First, this question requires you to understand what a disenchanted world is. You are not expected to read any Weber for your essay. A common-sense definition will suffice. (Treat dictionary definitions as common knowledge. Do not quote them.) In this context, of course, "disenchanted" does not mean "disappointed" or "unhappy." Second, you must determine from the evidence in the two books under consideration whether or not Europe became disenchanted. Possible answers are "yes," "no," "in certain cases, but not in others," "the data is inconclusive." Can you think of any others?
3. What is the single most significant thing that Darnton's findings in The Great Cat Massacre tell us about the Old Regime? Do they suggest that its political and social structures were strong? Do they point to its demise? Do they indicate that a revolutionary upheaval that would destroy the Old Regime was inevitable? Base your answer on at least four of the six essays in The Great Cat Massacre.
The first question is the basic one that you must answer. The subsequent questions are more specific options of answering the first question. But they are only options. You may have a different way of approaching the essential lesson to be learned about the Old Regime by reading The Great Cat Massacre.
4. Write an essay that answers the research question for which you drew up an annotated bibliography in your Research Assignment (see above). This essay must be based on the scholarly monographs and journal articles listed in your bibliography.