Materials for PHL 403, Senior Seminar on Heroism and the Human Spirit

Material for PHL 403 Senior Seminar on Heroism and the Human Spirit

PHL 403, Heroism and the Human Spirit Syllabus for Spring 2007
Updated list of some suggested works for final projects for Heroism and the Human Spirit (as of 1/9/07)

In-class writings, group work, and some related links
Group work on Manchild in the Promised Land
In-class Future Autobiography exercise
Group work on Saki's (1870-1816) story, "The Open Window"
Group Work on Jessica Amanda Salmonson's "Meditations and Confessions Regarding My Disturbing Ability" (from A Silver Thread of Madness)
Link to Violet Books, Jessica Amanda Salmonson's on-line bookstore, which will link you to some of her essays and another story
Group Work on Le Guin's "Those Who Walk Away from Omelas"
Link to an interview with Octavia Butler
Group Work on Octavia E. Butler and "Positive Obsession"
Group Work on Octavia E. Butler's "Furor Scribendi"
Group work on Rebbe Nachman's "The Turkey Prince"
Group Work on Orson Scott Card's "Mortal Gods"
Group Work on Orson Scott Card's "Bicicleta"
Group Work on Orson Scott Card's "Gert Fram"
Group Work on Sex and Gender Distinction
[In-class Writing on Childhood Heroes]
[In-class Writing on Night]
[Group work on Orson Scott Card's "The Porcelain Salamander"]
[Group work on "Harrison Bergeron"]
[Group work on Self-Deception]
Group work on Orson Scott Card's "Middle Woman"
[Link to Toni Morrison Page]
[Group work on The Bluest Eye]
[Group work on Night]
[Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Related Links from JEWISHNT - Jewish Global Information Network]
[Group work on "The Body"]
[Group work on Anthem]
[Group work on Slaughterhouse Five]
[Group work on The Autobiography of Malcolm X]
[Links to material on Malcolm X]

Notes, instructions, and samples
Notes for Lecture on "Aristotle, Becker, King, Childhood, and Scary Stories"
Reading S. King's "Breathing Method"
Some notes on identity, character and culture
Notes on Heroic Scripting
[Some notes on self-deception]
[Racism as a call to deception (outline)]
Some notes on sex/gender distinction
["P" is a sample of the writing exercise in which biological sex and social gender characteristics are not stated and cannot be inferred.]
[One Way to Write a Philosophy Paper] (provides a brief outline of one of the standard ways to go about writing a philosophy paper)
[Theodicy: The Problem of Evil] (provides a brief discussion of some the responses to the problem of evil in the context of theodicy)
[Anthropodicy: The Problem of Evil] (a brief list of some of the explanations of human evil)
M. Kagan notes for lecture on possibilities and practice

Ayn Rand Links
[M. Kagan's notes on and reconstruction of Ayn Rand's Ethical Egoism, and links to other Rand/Objectivism material ]
The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies

Vonnegut and Card Links
Hatrack River - The Official Web Site of Orson Scott Card
[Links to material on Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse Five]

Berne, Raffa, Campbell Jung and Becker
Kagan notes on Berne from Heroic Scripting lecture

Suppose Neo really is a machine or Trinity is "the one" . . . some extra-credit work on Campbell's Monomyth and any of the following movies: Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, or the Matrix

http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/monomyth.htm
["Raffa and Campbell" - M. Kagan's notes on Jean Benedict Raffa's Bridge to Wholeness]
Someone else's (named Spencer?) excellent notes on Jung
Kagan notes on Jung
[Some more Links to C. G. Jung Information on the Internet] The Jung links include a brief biography & bibliography and additional information on some of the Jungian ideas discussed in class.
Becker--Perspectives on Culture, Heroism, and Excellence [Kagan notes from PHL 201 on Ernest Becker's Birth and Death of Meaning] [P.S.: Applying Confucius and Becker]
[The Legacy of Ernest Becker: Part I] and [The Legacy of Ernest Becker: Part 2] (Biography and commentary on Becker's work by Ron Leifer. M.D., one of Becker's closest friends)