|
Philosophy 403 |
Office Hours in RH-428 (445-4489) |
|
Heroism and the Human Spirit |
MWF 9:35 -10:20 AM and by appointment. |
|
Philosophy Seminar, Fall, 2011 |
Email:kagan@lemoyne.edu |
|
Prof. Michael Kagan |
Le Moyne College website: http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html |
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
SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: You are to select and complete five of
the seven
short writing assignments. A reading question is given along with
each
assignment. Unless otherwise indicated, please answer the reading
question in
less than one TYPED page (all assignments, except in-class
writings, are
to be typed).Make sure you are working with the current version
of this
syllabus.
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS: For every presentation, you will be
required to
turn in an outline or abstract of your presentation, complete with
a list
of all works used. Also, if you use any web pages, not only should
these be
listed on the outline with the rest of your bibliography, but you are
also
required to turn in a printout of all web pages used in preparing the
presentation. If your group divides the work into separate parts, each
member
of the group will need to provide his or her own outline/abstract and
printouts. Outlines/abstracts, and printouts are to be given to me BEFORE
the presentation. Failure to do so BEFORE the
presentation
will result in a 30% deduction from the relevant presenter's
presentation
grade. If the outline and printouts are not turned in by the next
class, there
will be an additional 30% deduction. You may use up to but not
more than
2 minutes of videotaped material for your presentation. If the
class is
meeting in a room with a built-in VCR/DVD player, make sure you know
how to use
it. If you need to bring in a computer or video player for the
presentation,
you may order one from AV by calling 445-4380; for more information on
the web
see http://lemoyne.edu/ITHOME/ABOUTIT/CLASSROOMSERVICESIT/Equipment/tabid/833/Default.aspx. In
the event
of a technical glitch, power failure, or delivery problem, make sure
you can
present without the computer/videotaped material.
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS ON READINGS: All students are expected to do
all
readings and to share their understanding with one another in class
discussions
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, you are welcome to call me at home
before 8:00
PM. YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE AT 445-4489.
THE PROJECT might involve further investigating the issue of human
greatness and heroism, a philosophical essay concerning some related
issue of
philosophical interest in a work of literature, a creative literary
work of the
student's own [e.g., a short story, 1st chapter of a novel, & c.],
or a
philosophical analysis of some related issue present in one of the
works we
studied, detailing the position[s] set forth in the work, and
developing and
defending one's own philosophical response.
GRADING
25% of the grade is based on participation, in-class writings, and the optional journal and other optional writing assignments. Since you are not participating when you don't attend class, you will need to make up any absences with extra-credit assignments and journaling.
25% of the grade is based on the presentation on the readings.
25% for the five short writing assignments (the grade will be the average of the best four out of five).
25% is determined by the project and its presentation.
Grades are
based on a 10 point scale as
follows:
90-100 - 'A' range (97-100 = A+; 94-96=A; 90-93=A-); 80-89 - 'B'
range
(87-89 = B+; 84-86=B; 80-83=B-);
70-79 - 'C' range (77-79 = C+; 74-76=C; 70-73=C-); 60-69 -
'D'
range (67-69 = D+; 64-66=D; 60-63=D-).
Below 60 - 'F'.
Failure to complete any of (1)-(4) can result in a failing grade.
Plagiarism
will result in a failing grade.
Required Reading List: (in approximate reading order)
Walter
Mosley, Always Outnumbered, Always
Outgunned.
Stephen King, Different Seasons (also published as Shawshank
Redemption and as Apt Pupil).
Ayn Rand, Anthem.
Ernest Becker, Denial of Death.
Octavia E. Butler, Bloodchild and Other Stories, 2nd edition.
Orson Scott Card, Maps in a Mirror
Plato, Symposium.
SPECIAL
NEEDS
In coordination with the Academic
Support
Center (ASC),
reasonable accommodations are provided for qualified students with
disabilities. Please register with 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.
IMPORTANT DATES:
No class or office hours on the following dates:
Mon.,
Sept. 5, Labor Day; Wed. Sep. 7, Mass of the Holy Spirit
(classes
canceled 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM; Classes resume at 1:30), Thurs., Sep. 29
(Rosh
HaShanah); Oct. 10-11, Fall Break; Nov. 23-27, Thanksgiving
Break.
Last day of class: Dec. 9 (Fri.). PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE
FRI,
OCT. 14. WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: Mon., NOV. 21.
CLOSINGS/CANCELLATIONS
If campus/dorms are closed due to flu or other circumstances, my intent is that the course continue. Assignments continue to be due by email. Presentations will be replaced by papers, virtual presentations, or extended descriptions of presentations. In addition to notes and group work already available there on-line, I will post updates, lecture notes, etc., to my Le Moyne College website at http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html
As at other times, if your situation results in your needing an extension, please let me know. Also, if internet service is down or there are other infrastructure problems, please complete the assignments and turn them in when services are restored.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE AND SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS ['*' indicates
student
presentation.]
#1 (Mon., Aug. 29) Introduce course, choose groups and schedule
presentations
on readings.
#2 (Wed., Aug. 31) -- In-class writing on childhood heroes.
#3 (Fri., Sep. 2) Discussion of heroic scripting.
No class, Mon., Sept. 5, Labor Day.
#4 (Wed., Sep.7)
No class, Mass of the Holy Spirit (classes canceled 10:30 AM - 12:30
PM;
Classes resume at 1:30)
#5 ((Fri., Sep 9) Self-deception and bad faith. Read Orson Scott
Card's
"The Best Day" (from Maps in a Mirror) . The temptation to
deny the best and the worst.
*#6 (Mon.,Sep. 12) Students present on Walter
Mosley's
"Crimson Shadow" (in Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned)
SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: What motivates the characters in
this
story? What can we learn from this?
#7
(Wed.,
Sep.14) Read Orson Scott Card's "The Porcelain Salamander" (from
Maps in a Mirror). Group work on "The Porcelain
Salamander."
*#8 (Fri., Sep. 16). SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: Students
present on Stephen King's "The Body" (in Different Seasons).
What motivates the characters in this story? What can we
learn from
this?
#9
(Mon., Sep.
19) Instructor presents on Rand's philosophy.
*#10 (Wed., Sep. 21) Students present on Anthem. SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: In the world Rand describes, one's career
is chosen
by others at an early age - how do the book's characters respond to
this
choice? Does our society also put some in a position that will keep
them from
hurting the status quo? Why or why not?
#11 (Fri., Sep. 23) Lecture on problem of personal identity.
*#12 (Mon., Sep. 26) Students present on Octavia Butler's
"The
Evening and the Morning, and the Night" (in the Bloodchild
anthology) . SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: Compare
someone in this
story to someone you have encountered (in life or literature).
What can
we learn from this comparison?
#13 (Wed., Sep. 28 ) Lecture on "Becker, Childhood, and Scary
Stories" Read Denial of Death, Introduction & Part
I (Chapters 1-6). Optional short writing assignment:
How
might you relate Becker's views to the experiences of the characters we
have
read about so far?
#14 (Fri., Sep. 30) Instructor presents one way of reading King (and
others).
* #15
(Mon., Oct. 3) Students present on Stephen King's "The
Breathing Method" (in Different Seasons). SHORT WRITING
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Compare someone in this story to someone you
have
encountered (in life or literature). What can we learn from this
comparison?
#16 (Wed., Oct. 5). Instructor presents on Heroic Myths
(Campbell
and Raffa) and the twice born, related to the readings in and
implications
concerning discrimination and deception.
#17 (Fri., Oct. 7) Bring Bloodchild to class.
Read
Butler's "Positive Obsession" and "Furor
Scribendi." Group work.
Oct. 10-11 - Fall Break.
*#18
(Wed., Oct. 12) Students present on "Last Rites" in Walter
Mosley's Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. SHORT
WRITING
ASSIGNMENT DUE: How do the characters in this story show
respect to
one another? When is this most difficult? Why?
*#19 (Fri., Oct. 14) TWO PART SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE:
Write a
brief description of a friend or a brief story in which the sex of at
least one
major character is neither stated nor implied. THEN explain which of
the people
described in the Symposium has beliefs about love that
are
consistent with their own life/lives. Explain why. Note:
You are
welcome to do this within one page if you can, but, for this
assignment, the
page limit is 3 TYPED pages. Students present on Symposium.
Project proposals due.
#20
(Mon., Oct.17) Lecture on "Time and Chance &
Sex and Gender"
#21 (Wed., Oct. 19) Buber's hasidut and Rebbe Nachman's "The
Turkey
Prince." (includes group work on Rebbe Nachman's story). SCHEDULE
PROJECT PRESENTATIONS.
#22 (Fri., Oct. 21) In-class writing exercise on future
autobiography.
#23
(Mon., Oct.
24) Lecture on "Possibilities and Practice: Heroic Tasks and Self
Education."
#24
(Wed., Oct.
26) Read Orson Scott Card's "Mortal Gods" (from Maps in a
Mirror). Group work on "Mortal Gods"
#25 (Fri., Oct. 28) TBA.
#26 (Mon., Oct. 31) Read Card's "Bicicleta." Group
work on "Bicicleta."
#27 (Wed., Nov 3.) TBA.
#28 (Fri., Nov. 4) TBA.
Nov. 23-27, Thanksgiving Break.
*#28ff.
Mon., Nov. 7 - Wed., Dec. 7) Student presentations on
projects.
WRITTEN PROJECTS ARE DUE Mon., NOV. 22. These presentations
are to be
about 10 to 15 minutes in length per student, depending on the size of
the
class, and the number of students presenting. A solo presenter
will have
15 minute; a group of 2 or 3 students will have 20-30 minutes; groups
of 3 or
4 will have 30-45 minutes). 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. If
re-scheduling is not possible, the student will need to turn in a
written
version of their presentation if they have not yet done so.
*(Fri., Dec. 9) Make-up presentations/final evaluations (if they
haven't
already taken place). LAST DAY OF CLASS.
SOME
SUGGESTED WORKS FOR FINAL PROJECTS
Ajami,
Fouad. The Dream Palace of the Arabs (Pantheon Books, 1998).
Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and
the Last
Great Lesson.
Amdur, Ellis. Dueling with O-Sensei: Grappling with the Myth of the
Warrior
Sage, Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions.
Available from www.ellisamdur.com.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The
Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. (The movie "Smoke
Signals" is based on this.)
Becker, Ernest. The Birth and Death of Meaning, The Denial
of Death,
and other works.
Belenky, et al. Women's Ways of Knowing.
Berne, Eric. Games People Play, What Do You Say After You
Say Hello?
- The Psychology of Human Destiny, and other works.
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, 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.
Chesbro, George. Shadow of a Broken Man.
Cross, Amanda. Death in a Tenured Position, and other works.
Ushpizin (2004, directed by Giddi Dar).
Davies, Robertson. The Deptford Trilogy: Fifth Business/the
Manticore/World
of Wonders, and other works.
DeWitt, Helen. The Last Samurai.
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot, Notes
from
the Underground, "The Crocodile,” and other works.
Effinger, George Alec. When Gravity Fails, Budayeen
Nights,
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.
Eugenides, Jeffrey. Middlesex.
Frankl, Viktor. Man's Search for Meaning. Pocket Books
Washington Square
Press printing, 1985.
Friedman, C.S. This Alien Shore, and other works.
Gaiman,
Neil. Graveyard Book, Coraline, and
other works.
Gardner,
John. The
Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers.
Gibson, William. Neuromancer.
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.
Goldstein, Lisa. Dream Years, The Red Magician, Travellers
in Magic and other works.
Goodkind, Terry. Sword of Truth series, which begins with Wizard's
First Rule.
Haley, Alex, and Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
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, Stranger in a
Strange Land,
Citizen of the Galaxy, Double Star and other works.
Henderson, Zenna. Ingathering: The Complete People
Stories
(NESFA Press, 1995).
Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha, The Journey to the East, The
Glass
Bead Game, Steppenwolf, and other works.
Hitchens, Christopher. Letters to a Young Contrarian.
Hoeg, Peter. Smilla's Sense of Snow, Borderliners.
Hong Kingston, Maxine. The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood
Among Ghosts.
Howie, Noelle. Dress Codes: Of Three
Girlhoods--My
Mother's, My Father's, and Mine.
Howatch, Susan. Glamorous Powers, and other works.
Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According
to Garp.
Jarmusch, Jim. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.
Jewell, Lisa. One-Hit Wonder.
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. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Hearts in
Atlantis,
Bag of Bones, and other works.
Kiyosaki, Robert T., and Sharon Lechter. Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
Kress, Nancy. Beggars in Spain, Maximum Light.
Leonard, George. Mastery (New York: Penguin/Plume, 1992).
Lowry, Dave. Autumn Lightning, Persimmon Wind.
Le Guin, Ursula K. The Telling, Left Hand of Darkness, The
Lathe of Heaven, The Dispossessed, and other works.
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted.
Martinez, Guillermo. The Oxford Murders (New York:
Penguin Books,
2006).
Monroe, Kristen Renwick. The Heart of Altruism, The
Hand of
Compassion: Portraits of Moral Choice during the Holocaust,
and other
works (recommended by Lowell A. Dunlap, Ph.D.).
Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon, and other works.
Morrow, James. Towing Jehovah, Blameless in Abaddon,
and other
works.
Mosley, Walter. 47, Always Outnumbered, Always
Outgunned,
Devil in a Blue Dress, Fearless Jones, 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.
Parker, Robert B. Mortal Stakes, and other works.
Plato. The Republic, and other works.
Pohl, Frederik. Gateway.
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.
Rosenbaum, Lisa Pearl. A Day of Small Beginnings.
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Rubin, Henry Alex, and Dana Adam Shapiro (directors). Murderball.
Russell, Mary Doria. Dreamers of the Day, Doc, The
Sparrow,
and Children of God.
Sacks, Oliver. Musicophila: Tales of Music and the Brain.
Salmonson, Jessica Amanda. A Silver Thread of Madness, and
other works.
Sapphire. Push: A Novel.
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.)
Silverberg,
Robert. Lord Valentine's Castle.
Smith, Dominic. The Beautiful Miscellaneous (New York: Atria
Books,
2007).
Stead, Rebecca. When you Reach Me.
Steiner, Claude M. Scripts People Live: Transactional Analysis of
Life
Scripts.
Suzuki, D.T. Zen and Japanese Culture.
Sturgeon, Theodore. More than Human, and other works.
Stephenson, Neal. Cryptonomicon, Snow Crash, and
other
works.
Stout, Martha. The Myth of Sanity: Divided Consciousness and the
Promise of
Awareness.
Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club, The Hundred Secret Senses.
Tremayne, Peter. The Spider's Web: A Celtic Mystery.
Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and other works.
Vinge, Vernor. Rainbows End, and other works.
Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt. Mother Night, Slaughterhouse Five, and
other works.
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple.
Wachowski, Andy and Larry. The Matrix and its sequels
(including The
Animatrix).
Wiesel, Elie. Dawn, The Accident, and other works.
Willis, Connie. Passages, Doomsday Book, Bellwether,
and
other works.
Yoshikawa. Musashi.
Zettel, Sarah. Fool's War.
Some of this page's links:
Other materials for PHL 403: http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/403index.html
Back to Kagan's Homepage: http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html