Goal: The main purpose of this course is to provide students with an opportunity to develop their own answers to the question, "What makes a person great?" It is hoped that giving students a chance to address this problem while seeing its inter-connections with fundamental philosophical issues will help them integrate their heroic visions into their own philosophies of human existence and/or philosophic religious faith.

Requirements and grading

1. Your regular attendance and participation;  in-class writings, optional writings and extra credit. Each unexcused absence takes 4%  off this part of the grade (25%)
2. Your five short writing assignments (25%)
3. Your presentation on one of the assigned readings.  If you present two, the highest grade will count.  (25%)
4. Your  presentation on your final project (topic to to be agreed upon in advance). If you write up your final project,  the highest grade will count.  (25%)

Required Reading List: (in approximate reading order)

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye.
Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York:
King, Stephen. Different Seasons (also published as Shawshank Redemption).
Rand, Ayn. Anthem.
Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt. Mother Night.
Haley, Alex, and Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Plato, Symposium.

SPECIAL NEEDS

In coordination with the Academic Support Center (ASC), reasonable accommodations are provided for qualified students with disabilities. Please register with Anne Herron in the ASC Office for disability verification and determination of reasonable accommodations. After receiving your accommodation form from the ASC, you will need to make an appointment with me to review the form and discuss your needs. Please make every attempt to meet with me within the first week of class so your accommodations can be provided in a timely manner. You can either stop by the ASC, Library, 1st floor, or call (445-4118-voice or 445-4104-TDD) to make an appointment with Ms. Herron.

IMPORTANT DATES
No Classes on the Following dates: Sep. 6  (Labor Day),  Sep. 20  (Yom Kippur), Oct. 11 - Oct. 12 (Long Weekend), and Nov. 24-26 (Thanksgiving Break).
PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE Friday, OCT. 15. WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: FRI., NOV. 19.
LAST DAY OF CLASS - December 10

ABOUT STUDENT PRESENTATIONS ON READINGS:

All students are expected to do all readings and to share their understanding with one another in class discussions and by leading their own and participating in other students' presentations on the various readings. Student presentations on readings begin the second week of class, and will be scheduled during the first week. The subtopics will be divided up into student groups whose size will be determined by the class size.

Remember: You have less than an hour to present. Focus on the aspects your group finds most interesting and important. Do not try to cover everything. Your presentation will be improved if you make it easier for others to participate. (Please try to help others' presentations by participating!) Please feel free to meet with me to discuss your presentations. If you don't find me on campus, feel free to call me at home before 8:00 PM. YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE AT 445-4489.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE AND SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS ['*' MARKS WEEKS IN WHICH STUDENTS PRESENT ON READINGS.]

#1 (Mon., Aug. 30) Introduce course, choose groups and schedule presentations on readings.
#2 (Wed., Sep. 1) -- In-class writing on childhood heroes.
#3 (Fri., Sep. 3) Discussion of heroic scripting.
No Class Sep. 6  (Labor Day)
#4 (Wed., Sep. 8) Instructor presents on "The Porcelain Salamander."  Group work on "The Porcelain Salamander."
*#5 (Fri., Sep. 10)  Students present on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye.  SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Who, by the end of  the The Bluest Eye seems to make the greatest sacrifices?
#6 (Mon., Sep. 13) 9:30 Section, instructor presents on metapsychology and some implications of metapsychology for evil and greatness.  Classes end at 10:20 for Mass of the Holy Spirit.
#7 (Wed, Sep. 15)    Instructor presents on "The Best Day."  Self-deception and bad faith.
* #8 (Fri., Sep. 17) Students present on Night. SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE:  Who, in do you think risked the most in Night?  Why?
Mon. Sep. 20, NO CLASS: YOM KIPPUR.
#9 (Wed., Sep. 22)  Instructor presents on anthropodicy and theodicy.
*#10 (Fri., Sep. 24). SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: How does labeling affect the lives of these children? Students present on Stephen King's "The Body" (in Different Seasons).
#11 (Mon., Sep. 27) Instructor present's on Rand's philosophy.
* #12 (Wed., Sep. 29)  Students present on Anthem. SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE:  How are the book's heroes defined by others, how by themselves? What do you think of them in light of this?
#13  (Fri., Oct. 1)  Lecture on problem of personal identity.
* #14 (Mon., Oct. 4)  Short writing assignment due:  Who, if anyone, knows who they are in Mother Night? Why do you think so? Students present on Mother Night.
#15 (Wed., Oct. 6)  Lecture on "Becker, Childhood, and Scary Stories"
#16 ( Fri., Oct. 8) Instructor presents one way of reading King (and others).
Mon., Oct. 11. NO CLASS: COLUMBUS DAY.
* #17 ( Wed., Oct. 13) Students present on Stephen King's "The Breathing Method" (in Different Seasons). SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: What is most frightening in this story?   Why? PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16.
#18 (Fri., Oct. 15) Instructor presents on Heroic Myths (Campbell and Raffa) and the twice born.
* #19 (Mon., Oct. 18) SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: How are the book's heroes defined by others, how by themselves? What do you think of them in light of this?  Students present on The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
#19 ( Wed., Oct. 20) Group work on The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
#20 (Fri., Oct. 22) --Lecture on racism and deception. SCHEDULE PROJECT PRESENTATIONS.
* #21 (Mon., Oct. 25). TWO PART SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: Part 1: Write a brief (about one page) description of a friend or a brief story in which biological sex and social gender characteristics are not stated and cannot be inferred. Part 2: Who, in the Symposium do you think says the most interesting things about love?  Why?  Note:  for this assignment, the page limit is 3 TYPED pages.  Students present on Symposium.
#22  (Wed., Oct. 27)  Lecture on "Sex and Gender."
#23 -(Fri., Oct. 29)  In-class writing exercise on future autobiography.
#24 (Mon.,  Nov. 1) -Lecture on "Possibilities and Practice: The Heroic Task and Self Education."
#25  (Wed.  Nov.   3) - Buber's hasidut and Rebbe Nachman's "The Turkey Prince."  (includes group work on Rebbe Nachman's story).
# 26  (Fri., Nov. 5) Instructor presentation on "Middle Woman" or "Gert Fram."
NOTE: WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19
#26 (Mon., November 8 through Monday, December 6)  Student presentations on projects (these are to be between 20 and 50 minutes in length, depending on the size of the class). These will continue until the end of semester. Students who are unable to do their individual presentations at the scheduled time will need to schedule a make-up presentation.
No classes Nov. 24-26 (Thanksgiving Break).
Wed., December 8. Final Evaluations.
Fri., December 10, Make-up presentations. LAST DAY OF CLASS

Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and the Last Great Lesson.
Becker, Ernest. The Birth and Death of Meaning, The Denial of Death, and other works.
Belenky, et al. Women's Ways of Knowing.
Brown, Claude. Manchild in the Promised Land.
Brown, Christy.   My Left Foot.
Bujold, Lois McMaster.  Cordelia's Honor, and other works.
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower, Bloodchild and Other Stories, and other works.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Second ed.
Card, Orson Maps in a Mirror: The Short Fiction of Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game, and other works.
Chandler, Raymond. The Simple Art of Murder, and other works.
Cross, Amanda. Death in a Tenured Position, and other works.
Davies, Robertson. The Deptford Trilogy : Fifth Business/the Manticore/World of Wonders, and other works.
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot, Notes from the Underground, "The Crocodile," and other works.
Elgin, Suzette Haden. Native Tongue, The Judas Rose, The Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense and other works.
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man.
Frankl, Viktor. Man's Search for Meaning. Pocket Books Washington Square Press printing, 1985.
Friedman, C.S.   This Alien Shore, and other works..
Gardner, John. The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers.
Gilligan, Carol. In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development.
Gilman, Dorothy The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, Tightrope Walker, Incident at Badamya, and other works.
Goldman, William.  The Princess Bride.
Hammett, Dashiel. The Maltese Falcon (the book and the movie). You should look at his other novels as well.
Hargrove, Anne C. Getting Better: Conversations with myself and other friends while healing from breast cancer.
Heinlein, R. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Citizen of the Galaxy, Double Star and other works.
Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha, The Journey to the East, The Glass Bead Game, Steppenwolf, and other works.
Hoeg, Peter. Smilla's Sense of Snow, Borderliners.
Howatch, Susan. Glamorous Powers, and other works.
Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According to Garp.
Kafka, Franz. "Penal Colony," "Hunger Artist," The Trial, The Castle, and other works.
Kagan, Michael .  Educating Heroes (Durango, Colorado:  Hollowbrook, 1994.
Kamenetz, Rodger. The Jew in the Lotus : A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India, and Stalking Elijah:  Adventures with Today's Jewish Mystical Masters.
Kaye, Ronnie. Spinning Straw into Gold.
King, Stephen.  Bag of Bones, Insomnia, The Stand, and other works.
Kress, Nancy. Beggars in Spain, Maximum Light.
Leonard, George.  Mastery (New York:  Penguin/Plume, 1992).
Lowry, Dave. Autumn Lightning.
Le Guin, Ursula K. Left Hand of Darkness, The Lathe of Heaven, The Dispossessed, and other works.
Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon, and other works.
Noddings, Nel. Caring.
McBride, James. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother.
Oates, J. C. On Boxing.
Polster, Miriam F. Eve's Daughters : The Forbidden Heroism of Women.
Pullman, Philip.  The Golden Compass (New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 1996).
Raffa, Jean Benedict. The Bridge to Wholeness: A Feminine Alternative to the Hero Myth.
Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, The Virtue of Selfishness.
Rollin, B. First, You Cry.
Russell, Mary Doria. The Sparrow, and Children of God.
Sapphire.  Push:  A Novel.
Silverberg, Robert. Lord Valentine's Castle.
Suzuki, D.T. Zen and Japanese Culture.
Sturgeon, Theodore. More than Human, and other works.
Scriptures, religious tales and teachings of interest to the student, from a variety of traditions (including, but not limited to, African, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Native American, Taoist, Vedic.)
Tan, Amy.  The Joy Luck Club.
Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and other works.
Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt.  Slaughterhouse Five, and other works.
Walker, Alice.  The Color Purple.
Wiesel, Elie. Dawn, The Accident, and other works.
Willis, Connie.  Lincoln's Dreams, Doomsday Book, Bellwether, Remake.
Yoshikawa. Musashi.
Zettel,  Sarah. Fool's War.

Some of this page's links:

1. PHL 403, Heroism and the Human Spirit Fall 1999 syllabus: http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/hero99fa.html
2. Other materials for PHL 403:  http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/403index.html
3. Back to Kagan's Homepage:  http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html
4. Academic Support Center: http://www.lemoyne.edu/academic_affairs/academic_support_center/index.html