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Philosophy 403 (sections 01-02) |
Office Hours in RH-428 (445-4489) |
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Heroism and the Human Spirit |
MWF 9:00 -9:45 AM, and by appointment. |
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Philosophy Seminar, Spring, 2016 |
Email:kagan@lemoyne.edu |
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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. 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 Disability 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: Mar. 7-11 (Spring Break), Mar. 24-28 (Easter
Weekend Break).
PROJECT
PROPOSALS DUE FRI., MAR. 4. WRITTEN PROJECTS
DUE: MON., APR. 18.
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 (Mon., Jan. 25) Introduce course, choose groups and schedule presentations
on readings.
#2 (Wed., Jan. 27) -- In-class writing on childhood
heroes.
#3 (Fri. Jan. 29) Discussion of heroic scripting.
#4 (Mon., Feb. 1) 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 (Wed., Feb. 3) (Students present on
Walter Mosley's "Crimson Shadow" (in Always Outnumbered, Always
Outgunned) SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: What do
the characters in this story expect from the future? What can we learn from this?
*#6 (Fri., Feb. 5). SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT
DUE: Students present on Stephen King's "The Body"
(in Different Seasons). What do two major characters in this
story expect from the future? What
can we learn from this?
#7(Mon., Feb.
8) Instructor presents on Rand's philosophy.
*#8(Wed., Feb. 10) 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 (Fri, Feb. 12) Lecture on problem of personal
identity.
*#10 (Mon., Feb. 15) 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(Wed, Feb. 17) 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 (Fri., Feb. 19) Instructor presents one way of reading King (and others).
*#13 (Mon.,
Feb. 22) Students present on Stephen King's
"The Breathing Method" (in Different Seasons). SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE What do the characters in this story expect
from the future? What can we learn
from this?
#14
(Wed., Feb. 24). Instructor presents on Heroic Myths (Campbell and
Raffa) and the twice born, related to the readings in and implications
concerning discrimination and deception.
#15 (Fri., Feb. 26) Bring Bloodchild
to class. Read Butler's "Positive
Obsession" and "Furor Scribendi." Group work.
*#16 (Mon.,
Feb. 29) 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 (Wed., Mar. 2) 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.
#18
(Fri., Mar. 4) Lecture on "Time and Chance & Sex and Gender." Project
proposals due.
Mar. 7-11 (Spring Break)
#19 (Mon., Mar. 14) Buber's hasidut and Rebbe Nachman's "The Turkey
Prince." (includes group work on Rebbe
Nachman's story). SCHEDULE PROJECT PRESENTATIONS.
#20 (Wed., Mar. 16) In-class writing exercise on
future autobiography.
#21
(Fri., Mar. 18) Lecture on "Possibilities and Practice: Heroic Tasks
and Self Education."
#22
(Mon., Mar. 21) Read Orson Scott Card's
"Mortal Gods" (from Maps in a Mirror). Group
work on "Mortal Gods"
#23 (Wed., Mar. 23) Read Orson Scott Card's "The Porcelain
Salamander" (from Maps in a Mirror). Group work on "The Porcelain Salamander."
Mar. 24-28 (Easter Weekend Break).
#24 (Wed., Mar. 30) Read Card's "Bicicleta." Group work on "Bicicleta."
#25 (Fri., Apr. 1.) TBA.
#26 (Mon., Apr. 4)
TBA.
*#27ff. Wed., Apr, 6 - Fri., May 6) Student presentations on projects. WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: MON., APR. 18. 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.
WRITTEN
PROJECTS DUE: MON., APR. 18.
(Mon., May 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 http://edgeworkbooks.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.)
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.
Sawyer, Robert J. Quantum
Night (Penguin/ACE, 2016).
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