McMaster University

French Department
FRENCH 4D03
Scientific speech in the contemporary French fiction
WINTER 2008
ProfessOR S. Posthumus
502 Togo Salmon Hall x23746
posthum@mcmaster.ca
hours of operation : Mardi, 14h-15h, Vendredi 11h30-12h30 ou sur rendez-
vous

Course : Monday 14h30 – 16h30 TSH 530

Importante note :
In this course, we will use Moodle. It is important to note that when the
student uses this electronic tool, certain information such as his name of
family, his first one to name, his name of user are available to be viewed by
others in the same course. If the student decides to follow this course, this
will be a sign of his consent. If he or she has any questions, they should not
hesitate to contact the professor

Course description:
In this course, we will examine the manner in which the scientific speech,
that deeply transformed the notions of the human being, life, death, nature
to the twentieth century does itself to question in the contemporary literary
text. How the latter does it put in question the scientific speech that
dominates our era? Techniques which of manipulation, of misappropriation,
and of present are used? How can the literary text
illustrate the current issues of the scientific speech on the political, media,
intellectual and social plan?

Course objectives:
1. Identify and analyze the important issues of the scientific speech in a
passage in particular of one of the studied texts in course
2. Criticize other theories on the scientific speech in the fiction text
3. Begin elaborating a theory of the scientific speech in the text of
contemporary fiction (functions, technical, methods, etc.)

Mandatory Textbooks:
1. Lorraine Fouchet. 24 heures de trop. Paris : Flammarion (Editions j’ai lu),
2002.
2. Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod. L’homme du cinquième jour. Paris : Gallimard
(folio poche), 1997.
3. Michel Houllebecq. Les particules élémentaires. Paris : Flammarion
(Editions j’ai lu), 1998.
4. Extraits. Jacques Roubaud. Mathématique. Paris : Seuil, 1997.
5. Articles théoriques. Disponibles en cours ou bien en ligne.
Recommended Books :
1. Dictionnaire français unilingue (Le Petit Robert, Le Petit Larousse, etc.)
2. Dictionnaire français/anglais (Robert/Collins, etc.)

Marking System:
* Diligence 15%
Presence and participation. In a seminary of fourth year, there is only two
hours of a week and the two hours are essential to the comprehension of the
studied texts in course. If the student lacks more than three course during
the semester without giving notice well in advance (the reasons valuables to
lack a course are not very numerous), will lose automatically 10% of his final
grade. The big difference between a seminary and a masterly course is the
contribution of the students. In a seminary, it is understood that the
students participate as much as the professor to the discussion.

* Oral Exposition 20%

THE oral exposition will understand two parties:
1) presentation of 30 minutes in course of the analysis and interpretation of
A PASSAGE (not more of a page) pulled of one of the studied novels in course
2) organization of an online discussion in relation to the analysis presented
in class

* Written Works 2 x's 15% = 30%

The two written works will be of 4 to 5 pages (which does not understand the
grades and the bibliography). The student will use one of the theoretical
items to analyze the scientific speech in one of the studied texts in course.
The professor will furnish a quotation in particular to help the student to well
to target his analysis. Date back to the written works - February 11 and
March 31.

* Final Exam 35%

The final examination will concern all the studied texts in course as well as
on the oral expositions. Additional information:
1. It is the responsibility of the student to arrive in class on time and to
remain until the end. Any absence without the permission of the professor
will be noted and penalized.
2. Any change of date and of content (items, examinations, readings to do,
etc.) will be announced in course and online posted but it is the
responsibility of the student to be held during the course of these possible
changes.
3. Any work render late without the permission of the professor will be
penalized 5% a day working. The professor will not accept work submissive
by e-mail.
4. It is a matter essentially of a seminary therefore of a course of discussion.
If the not done student the required reading BEFORE THE CURRENT, it
cannot participate and therefore his presence in runs is superfluous.
Weekly Program :

Introduction
7 January
Course presentation; Les deux cultures de C.P. Snow Littérature /
science – l’affaire Sokal

Physique, désir, immortalité

14 January
Barthes, Roland. « De la science à la littérature. » IN Le Bruissement
de la langue. Paris : Seuil, 1984. 13-20.
Les Particules élémentaires – pages 12 à 86
21 January
Calvino, Italo. « Two Interviews on Science and Literature ». The Uses
of Literature. Trad. Patrick Creagh. New York : Harcourt Brace, 1986.
28-38.
Les Particules élémentaires – pages 86 à 162
28 January
Chassay, Jean-François. « Introduction ». La Science des écrivains ou
Comment la science vient à la littérature. Montréal : La science se
livre, 2003. 5-11.
Les Particules élémentaires - pages 162 à 239
4 February
Lévy-Leblond, Jean-Marc. « Réponse à l’enquête ». Cité : Des sciences
et de l’industrie. Science et littérature. « Scientifique, littéraire : deux
attitudes ? »
<http://www.citesciences.fr/apprendre/francais/sciences/fs_sl.htm> 5
janvier 2008.
Les Particules élémentaires - pages 239 à 317

Médecine, moralité, mort

11 February
24 Heures de trop - chapitres 1 à 44
First written work to be submitted
18 February – Week of Lecture
25 février
Pierssens, Michel. « Le Pacte épistémique. » Alliage 57-58. 6 juin 2007.
<http://www.tribunes.com/tribune/alliage/57/pierssens.htm> 5 janvier
2008.
24 Heures de trop - chapitres 45 à 87

Anthropologie, homme/animal, nature/culture

3 mars
Lévi-Strauss, Claude. « Nature et culture ». Les Structures
élémentaires de la parenté. Paris : Mouton, 1967. 3-13.
 L’Homme du cinquième jour (chapitres 1 à 14)
10 March
De Grève, Marcel. « Anthropologie » IN Dictionnaire International des
termes littéraires. <http://www.ditl.info/arttest/art9031.php> 13
février2008.
L’homme du cinquième jour (chapitres 15 à 27)
17 March
Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. « Éloge de la modernité ». Anthologie sonore
de la pensée française par les philosophes du XXième siècle.
Enregistré en 1948. Fremeaux & Associés, 2003.
L’homme du cinquième jour (chapitres 28 à 39)
24 March
Oulipo. « Théorie et histoire. » La littérature potentielle. Paris :
Gallimard (folio/essais), 1999 (1988). 15-35.
Extraits – Mathématiques
31 March
Extraits – Mathématiques
2nd written work to be submitted
7 April
Hayles, N. Katherine. « Deciphering the Rules of Unruly Disciplines : a
Modest Proposal for Literature and Science » IN Literature and Science.
Eds. Anthony Purdy & Donald Bruce. Rodopi : Atlanta /Amsterdam,
1994. 25-48.
Serres, Michel. Le Tiers-Instruit. Paris : Gallimard (folio/essais),
1994(1992).

Final Exam

Academic Integrity
You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behaviour in all aspects
of the learning process.
Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and
academic integrity.
Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or
could result in
unearned academic credit or advantage. This behaviour can result in serious
consequences, e.g. the
grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the
transcript (notation reads:
“Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or
expulsion from the
university.
It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty.
For information on
the various types of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic
Integrity Policy, located at
http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity
The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:
1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which
other credit has been
obtained.
2. Improper collaboration in group work.
3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.
Si vous voulez plus d'explications, consultez les sites ci-dessous:
1. McMaster Library
http://library.mcmaster.ca (Cliquez sur "e-Resources" et faire une recherche
sur le mot "citation").
2. Centre for Student Development de McMaster
http://csd.mcmaster.ca/student_achievement_series.htm
3. Indiana University
http://education.indiana.edu/%7Efrick/plagiarism/ (Essayez le quiz à la fin
pour être sûr-e que
vous avez bien compris les différentes sortes de plagiat).