|
Philosophy 403 (sections 01-02) |
Office Hours in RH-428 (445-4489) |
|
Heroism and the Human Spirit |
MWF 9:00 -9:20 AM; 10:25-10:50AM; and by appointment. |
|
Philosophy Seminar, Spring, 2015 |
Email:kagan@lemoyne.edu |
|
Prof. Michael Kagan |
Le Moyne College website: http://web.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, please email me at kagan@lemoyne.edu. 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) and Disablility
Support Services,
reasonable accommodations are provided for qualified students with
disabilities. Please register for disability
verification
and determination of reasonable accommodations. After receiving your
accommodation form, 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 classes on the following dates: Mon., Jan. 19 (Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day),
Mar. 9-13 (Spring Break), Apr 2-Apr. 6 (Easter Weekend Break).
PROJECT
PROPOSALS
DUE
FEB. 27. WRITTEN
PROJECTS DUE: MON., APR. 20.
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://web.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 (Wed., Jan. 21) Introduce course, choose groups and schedule
presentations
on readings.
#2 (Fri., Jan. 23) -- In-class writing on childhood heroes.
#3 (Mon. Jan. 26) Discussion of heroic scripting.
#4 (Wed., Jan. 28) 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.
*#5 (Fri., Jan. 30) (Students present on Walter
Mosley's
"Crimson Shadow" (in Always
Outnumbered, Always Outgunned)
SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: How do
the characters in this story prepare for the future? What can
we learn from
this?
*#6
(Mon., Feb. 2). SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT
DUE: Students
present on
Stephen King's "The Body" (in Different
Seasons).
Compare someone in this story to someone you have encountered (in life
or
literature). What can we learn from this comparison?
#7(Wed.,
Feb. 4) Instructor presents on Rand's philosophy.
*#8(Fri., Feb. 6) 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?
#9 (Mon, Feb. 9) Lecture on problem of personal identity.
*#10 (Wed., Feb. 11) 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?
#11(Fri., Feb. 13) 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?
#12 (Mon., Feb. 16) Instructor presents one way of reading King (and
others).
*#13
(Wed.,
Feb. 18) Students present on Stephen King's "The Breathing
Method" (in Different Seasons).
SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT
DUE: How do
the characters in this story prepare for the future? What can
we
learn from this?
#14 (Fri., Feb. 20). Instructor presents on Heroic
Myths (Campbell
and Raffa) and the twice born, related to the readings in and
implications concerning
discrimination and deception.
#15 (Mon., Feb.
23) Bring Bloodchild
to class. Read
Butler's "Positive Obsession" and "Furor
Scribendi." Group work. Project
proposals due.
*#16
(Wed.,
Feb. 25) Students present on "Last Rites" in Walter
Mosley's
Always Outnumbered, Always
Outgunned. SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT
DUE: How do
the characters in this story prepare for the future? When is
this most difficult? Why?
*#17 (Fri., Feb. 27) 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
FEB. 27.
#18
(Mon., Mar. 2) Lecture on "Time and Chance
&
Sex and Gender"
#19 (Wed., Mar. 4) Buber's hasidut and Rebbe Nachman's "The
Turkey
Prince." (includes group work on Rebbe Nachman's
story). SCHEDULE
PROJECT PRESENTATIONS.
#20 (Fri., Mar. 6) In-class writing exercise on future
autobiography.
Mar. 9-13
(Spring Break)
#21
(Mon., Mar.
16) Lecture on "Possibilities and Practice: Heroic Tasks and
Self
Education."
#22
(Wed., Mar. 18) Read Orson Scott Card's "Mortal Gods" (from
Maps in a Mirror). Group work on "Mortal Gods"
#23 (Fri., Mar. 20
Read Orson Scott
Card's "The Porcelain Salamander" (from Maps
in a Mirror).
Group work on "The Porcelain Salamander."
[Mar. 20,
President LeMura's Inauguration. Classes cancelled from 1:30pm
on. Ceremony at 2:30pm in the Henniger Athletic Center.]
#24
(Mon., Mar. 23) Read Card's "Bicicleta." Group
work on
"Bicicleta."
#25 (Wed., Mar. 25.) TBA.
#26
(Fri., Mar. 27) TBA.
*#27ff. Mon., Mar, 30 - Fri., May 1) Student
presentations on
projects. WRITTEN PROJECTS ARE DUE MON., APR. 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.
Apr,
2-Apr.6 (Easter Weekend Break).
WRITTEN
PROJECTS DUE: MON., APR. 20.
(Mon., May 4) 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 http://www.edgework.info/buy-books-on-martial-arts.html.
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.)
Arnold, Matthew, Freddie Wong, Will Campos, and Brian Firenzi. Video
Game High School (VGHS). 2012-2015.
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.
Chesterton, Gilbert K. The
Innocence of Father Brown, other
Father Brown Mysteries, etc.
Cohn, Rachel, and David Levithan. Nick
and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
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.
Fuller,
Brian,
and Todd Holland. Wonderfalls.
(2004)
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. In One Person
(2012), A
Prayer for Owen
Meany,
The World According to Garp.
Jarmusch, Jim. Ghost Dog: The
Way of the Samurai.
Jewell, Lisa. One-Hit
Wonder.
Junger, Sebastian. War.
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.
Peters, Ellis (Edith Mary Pargeter). A
Morbid Taste for Bones, One
Corpse too Many, other
Brother Cadfael mysteries, 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.
Remen, Rachel Naomi.
Kitchen
Table
Wisdom, My
Grandfather’s Blessings,
and other works.
Rollin, B. First, You Cry.
Rosenbaum, Lisa Pearl. A
Day of Small Beginnings.
Rothfuss, Patrick.
The
Name of the
Wind (DAW Books, 2007), and
other works.
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.
Sanderson, Brandon.
The
Way of Kings
(Tor Books, 2010), 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.
Taleb, Nassim Nicholas. Antifragile:
Things that Gain from
Disorder (2012), The
Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly
Improbable (2007), Fooled
by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance
in Life and in the Markets
(2001), and other works.
Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club,
The Hundred Secret Senses.
Tremayne, Peter (Peter Berresford Ellis). The
Spider's Web: A Celtic Mystery,
The Chalice of Blood, other
Sister Fidelma mysteries, and other
works.
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.
Wachowski, Andy and Larry. The
Matrix and its sequels
(including The
Animatrix).
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple.
Walton, Jo. Among
Others.
Wiesel, Elie. Dawn,
The Accident,
and other works.
Willis, Connie. Passages,
Doomsday Book,
Bellwether,
and
other works.
Yoshikawa. Musashi.
Zettel, Sarah. Fool's War.
Zuzak, Markus. The
Book Thief.
Some
of this page's
links:
Other materials for PHL 403: http://web.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/403index.html
Back to Kagan's Homepage: http://web.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html