Philosophy 403 Michael Kagan
Philosophy Seminar: Heroism Office Hours in RH-422
and the Human Spirit W 9-10:20am; TU & TH 4:40-5:20pm
Le Moyne College and by appointment
Fall 1997 (Call 445-4489)
Goal: The major purpose of this course is to providestudents with an opportunity to develop their own answer to the focal question,"What makes a person great?" It is hoped that giving studentsa chance to address this problem while seeing its inter-connections withfundamental philosophical issues will help them integrate their own heroicvisions into their own philosophy of human existence and/or philosophicreligious faith.
Requirements: Requirements include regular attendanceand participation, and some significant project to be agreed upon in advance.Such a project might involve further investigating the issue of human greatnessand heroism, a philosophical essay concerning some related issue of philosophicalinterest in a work of literature, a creative literary work of the student'sown [e.g., a short story, 1st chapter of a novel, & c.], or a philosophicalanalysis of some related issue present in one of the works we studied,detailing the position[s] set forth in the work, and developing and defendingone's own philosophical response.
Evaluation: (1) 25% of the grade is based on attendanceand participation (each miss is 4% off this part of the grade), andthe optional journal and other optional writing assignments; (2) 25% ofthe grade is based on the presentation on the readings; (3) 25% on in-classessays and short writing assignments; (4) 25% is determined by the projectand its presentation. Excessive absences (more than five) or failureto complete any of (1)-(4) can result in a failing grade.
Required Reading List: (in approximate readingorder)
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye.
Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York:
King, Steven. Different Seasons (also publishedas Shawshank Redemption).
Rand, Ayn. Anthem.
Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt. Slaughterhouse Five.
Haley, Alex, and Malcolm X. The Autobiography ofMalcolm X.
Plato, Symposium.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you have a documented disability and wish to discussacademic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Sep. 9, Mass of the Holy Spirit, no classes from11:15am - 5 pm. Night classes WILL meet.
Oct. 2, Rosh HaShanah, no class. Oct. 14, Long Weekend, no classes.
Thurs., Oct. 16: PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE. No classes week of Nov. 25.
WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: Thurs., November 20.
Dec. 2, Evaluations. Dec. 9 is thelast day of classes.
ABOUT STUDENT PRESENTATIONS ON READINGS:
All students are expected to do all readings andto share their understanding with one another in class discussions andby leading their own and participating in other students' presentationson the various readings. Student presentations on readings begin the secondweek of class, and will be scheduled during the first week. The subtopicswill be divided up into student groups whose size will be determined bythe class size.
Remember: You have less than an hour to present.Focus on the aspects your group finds most interesting and important. Donot try to cover everything. Your presentation will be improved if youmake it easier for others to participate. (Please try to help others' presentationsby 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 (637-0349)before 8:00 PM. YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE AT 445-4489.
ABOUT SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
A reading question is given along with each assignment. Please answer the reading question in less than one TYPED page (allassignments, except in class writings are to be typed). Make sureyou are working with the current version of this syllabus.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE AND SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS['*' MARKS WEEKS IN WHICH STUDENTS PRESENT ON READINGS.]
Week #1 (of Aug. 26)--Introduce course, choose groupsand schedule presentations on readings, in-class writing on childhood heroes.
*Week #2 (of Sep. 2)- Discussion of heroicscripting. On September 4, students present on Toni Morrison'sThe Bluest Eye. SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT( ALL SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENTSARE DUE THE DATE OF THE RESPECTIVE STUDENT PRESENTATION): How, if atall, do children resist the treatment they are given in The Bluest Eye?
*Week #3 (of Sep. 9)--SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT:How, if at all, do children resist the treatment they are given inNight? Instructor presentson "The Best Day," self-deception and bad faith.
Sep. 11, students present on Night
*Week #4 (of Sep. 16)--SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT:How, if at all, do children resist the treatment they are given in "TheBody"? Sep. 18: Students present on Steven King's "The Body"(in Different Seasons), group work on childhood heroics.
*Week #5 (of Sep. 23.)--SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Instructor present's on Rand's philosophy. In what ways, if any,is our world like the world Rand describes? We will breakinto small groups and compare our responses to this questions. Sep. 25:Students present on Anthem. Possible lecture on personal identity.
*Week #6 (of Sep. 30)--SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT:Do you admire any of the characters in Slaughterhouse Five? (Explain why or why not in your answer.) Possible lecture ontime and eternal recurrence. Sep. 30., Students present on SlaughterhouseFive. No class on Oct. 2, Rosh HaShanah.
*Week #7 (of Oct. 7)--Lecture on "Becker, Childhood,and Scary Stories" Oct 9: Students present on Steven King's "TheBreathing Method" (in Different Seasons). SHORT WRITINGASSIGNMENT: How, if at all, is friendship used to resistevil in this story?
*Week # 8 (of Oct. 14)--SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT:In what important ways, if any, is our world like the world Malcolm X describes. We will break into small groups and compareour responses to this question. Oct 16: Students present on TheAutobiography of Malcolm X. Oct.14, no class. Thurs., Oct. 16: PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE.
*Week #9 (of Oct. 21)--Lecture on "Sex and Gender."SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Write a brief description of a friendor a brief story in which biological sex and social gender characteristicsare not stated and cannot be inferred; THEN state which theory of lovein the Symposium most impressed you and why (or least impressedyou and why). Note: You are welcome to do this within one page ifyou can, but, for this assignment, the page limit is 3 TYPED pages. Oct. 23: Students present on Symposium, group work on Symposium.
Week 10: (of Oct. 27)--In-class writing exerciseon future autobiography. Lecture on "Possibilities and Practice: TheHeroic Task and Self Education."
Week 11 (of Nov. 3)--Instructor presents on "HarrisonBergeron." Group work on sameness, difference, and conformity. Instructor presents on Heroic Myths (Campbell and Raffa, and Cards theoryof Maps in a Mirror) and the twice born.
Weeks 12-14 (Nov. 10 - Dec.4)--Studentpresentations on projects begin (these are to be between 20 and 50 minutesin length). These will continue until the end of semester. Students whoare unable to do their individual presentations at the scheduled time willneed to schedule a make-up presentation to be done at the regularly scheduledfinal exam time for these courses.
Remember: WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: Thurs.,November 20.
No classes week of Nov. 25; STUDENT EVALUATIONS:Tues., Dec. 2.
Week 15. Dec 9., last day of class; make-uppresentations.
MAKE-UP PRESENTATIONS: LAST DAY OF CLASS, and duringfinals, if necessary.
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
PHL 403-01 TTH 8:30 RH340 Fri., Dec. 12 from 9-11:00 AM
PHL 403-02 TTH 10:00 RH340 Tues., Dec. 16 from 12:30-2:30 PM
SOME SUGGESTED WORKS FOR FINAL PROJECTS:
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.
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower, andother works.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces.Second ed.
Card, Orson Maps in a Mirror: The Short Fiction ofOrson Scott Card, and other works.
Chandler, Raymond. The Simple Art of Murder (andhis novels).
Cross, Amanda. Death in a Tenured Position, andother works.
Davies, Robertson. The Cornish Trilogy: The RebelAngels/What's Bred in the Bone/the Lyre of Orpheus and The DeptfordTrilogy : Fifth Business/the Manticore/World of Wonders.
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov, TheIdiot, Notes from the Underground, "The Crocodile,"and other works.
Elgin, Suzette Haden. Native Tongue, The JudasRose, The Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense and other works.
Frankl, Viktor. Man's Search for Meaning. PocketBooks Washington Square Press printing, 1985.
Gardner, John. The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craftfor Young Writers. New York: Random House Vintage Book edition, 1991.This work is strongly recommended to students interested in writing orexamining fiction as part of their final projects.
Gilligan, Carol. In a Different Voice: PsychologicalTheory and Women's Development.
Gilman, Dorothy The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, TightropeWalker, and other works.
Hammett, Dashiel. The Maltese Falcon (the bookand the movie). You should look at his other novels as well.
Hargrove, Anne C. Getting Better: Conversations withmyself and other friends while healing from breast cancer.
Heinlein, R. Have Space Suit--Will Travel, Citizenof the Galaxy, Starship Troopers, Double Star, Stranger in a StrangeLand, and other works.
Hesse, Hermann. The Journey to the East, TheGlass 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, TheWorld According to Garp.
Kafka, Franz. "Penal Colony," "HungerArtist," The Trial, The Castle, and other works.
Kaye, Ronnie. Spinning Straw into Gold.
Kress, Nancy. Beggars in Spain.
Le Guin, Ursula K. Left Hand of Darkness, TheLathe of Heaven, The Dispossessed, and other works.
Noddings, Nel. Caring.
Oates, J. C. On Boxing.
Raffa, Jean Benedict. The Bridge to Wholeness: AFeminine Alternative to the Hero Myth (San Diego: LuraMedia, 1992.
Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged,The Virtue of Selfishness.
Rollin, B. First, You Cry.
Suzuki, D.T. Zen and Japanese Culture.
The New English Bible with the Apocrypha: OxfordStudy Edition. [Or any other standard translation of the Bible.]
Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and otherworks.
Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt. Mother Night, andother works.
Wiesel, Elie. Dawn, and other works.
Yoshikawa. Musashi.
[Other materials for PHL 403--Senior Seminaron Heroism and the Human Spirit]
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