|
C0R 400G MW section |
Office Hours in RH-428 (315-445-4489) |
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Heroism and the Human Spirit |
MWF - 8:45-9:15am, 10:30-10:45am, Thurs - 1:50-2:15pm, and by appointment. |
|
Fall, 2018 |
Email:kagan@lemoyne.edu |
|
Prof. Michael Kagan |
Le Moyne College website: http://web.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html |
Goal: In his 1907 address to the Alumnae Association at Radcliffe College, William James suggested that the aim of a successful college education is that those who have it will be able to recognize a good person when they are fortunate enough to encounter one. This course shares that aim. It will involve varied readings from world literature, augmented by some extra readings from philosophy and psychology in search of responses to the question, "What makes a person great?" Of central concern will be the issue of the nature of the heroic; we will also be concerned with some other philosophical problems which arise in connection with this question (such as: the problem of evil; personal identity; determinism, free will and fatalism; death; the mind-body problem and the problem of other minds; philosophical anthropology and philosophical psychology as well as some philosophy of psychology; philosophical analysis of religious experience). Students will be encouraged and expected to bring their own learning from other disciplines to this quest.
Student learning goals and objectives:
The main purpose of this course is to provide students with an opportunity to bring their disciplinary training and life experience 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.
Students in COR 400G are expected to develop their own approaches to the goals of this course, encounter new ways of approaching texts and problems, and to bring their own backgrounds and disciplinary training to bear on specific questions raised in the readings. Students are expected to develop, present, and demonstrate:
Students will also demonstrate critical speaking, listening, reading and writing skills as they present interdisciplinary reflections and arguments.
Requirements and grading
SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: You are to select and complete three or four (the top 3 scores count for grading purposes) of the eight
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 after 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. Students are encouraged and
expected to bring their own learning from other disciplines. I expect the
length of most written projects to be about 5-7 typed pages. If you’re
interested in doing a project that will be significantly longer, please let me
know in advance.
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 top three short writing assignments (the grade will be the average of the best three out of four).
25% is determined by the project and its presentation (this can be done as a presentation, a paper, or both).
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
IMPORTANT DATES:
IMPORTANT DATES:
No class or office hours on the following times/dates: Mass of the Holy Spirit – Wednesday, August 29; classes scheduled to meet from 9:30-10:45 will dismiss at 10:30. Classes scheduled for 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m. will not be held. Mon., Sept. 3, Labor Day; Monday, September 10 (Rosh HaShanah); Wednesday, Sep. 19 (Yom Kippur); Oct. 8-9, Fall Break; Nov. 21-25, Thanksgiving Break.
Last day of class: Dec. 5 (Wed.). PROJECT PROPOSALS (for presentations/optional paper) DUE Wed./Thurs., OCT. 17/18. OPTIONAL (for those who present their projects) WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: Wed./Thurs, NOV. 14/15. Student Project presentations begin Mon., Nov. 26.
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., Aug. 27) Introduce course, choose groups and schedule
presentations
on readings.
#2 (Wed. Aug. 29) – Finish scheduling presentations on readings. In-class writing on childhood heroes.
Mon.,
Sept. 3, Labor Day. No classes or office hours.
#3 (Wed. Sept. 5) Discussion of heroic scripting.
No class or office hours Monday, September 10 (Rosh HaShanah).
#4 (Wed., Sept. 12) 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 (Mon., Sept. 17) (Students present on Walter Mosley's
"Crimson Shadow" (in Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned). SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT: What do two of the characters in this story do well
(or badly)? How does this affect their lives? What can we learn
from
this?
No class or
office
hours Wednesday, September 19 (Yom Kippur).
*#6
(Mon.,
Sept. 24). SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: Students
present on
Stephen King's "The Body" (in Different Seasons). What do two of the characters in this story do well
(or badly)? How does this affect their lives? What can we learn
from
this?
#7(Wed.,
Sept. 26) Instructor presents on Rand's philosophy.
*#8(Mon., Oct. 1) Students present on Anthem. SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: In the world Rand describes, people's
careers are
chosen by others at an early age - how do two of the book's characters
respond
to this choice? Is our society like the one in Anthem? Why or why not?
#9 (Wed., Oct. 3) Lecture on problem of personal identity.
No class or office hours, Oct. 8-9, Fall Break.
*#10
(Wed., Oct. 10) 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(Mon., Oct. 15) Lecture on "Becker, Childhood, and Scary
Stories." Read Denial of Death, Introduction & Part
I (Chapters 1-6). SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: How
might you
relate Becker's views to the experiences of two characters we have read
about
so far?
#12 (Wed., Oct. 17) Instructor presents one way of reading King (and
others).
PROJECT
PROPOSALS (for presentation and/or optional project paper) DUE Wed./Thurs.,
OCT.
17/18
*#13
(Mon., Oct.
22) Students present on Stephen King's "The Breathing Method"
(in Different Seasons). SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: What do two of the characters in this story do well
(or badly)? How does this affect their lives? What can we learn
from
this?
#14
(Wed., Oct.
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 (Mon., Oct. 29) Bring Bloodchild to class.
Read
Butler's "Positive Obsession" and "Furor
Scribendi." Group work.
*#16
(Wed., Oct. 31) Students present on "Last Rites" in Walter
Mosley’s Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. SHORT
WRITING
ASSIGNMENT DUE: What do two of the characters in this story do well
(or badly) in their encounters with others? How does this affect their lives? What can we learn
from
this?
*#17
(Mon., Nov. 5) 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 how one or
two
characters presented in the Symposium share beliefs about love
that contradict or affirm the way they live 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
(Wed., Nov. 7) Lecture on "Time and Chance
& Sex and Gender."
#19
(Mon., Nov. 12) Buber's hasidut and Rebbe Nachman's "The Turkey
Prince." (includes group work on Rebbe Nachman's story). SCHEDULE
PROJECT PRESENTATIONS.
#20 (Wed., Nov. 14) In-class writing exercise on future
autobiography. Optional
(for those who present their projects) WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: Wed./Thurs, NOV. 14/15.
#21
(Mon., Nov. 19) Lecture on "Possibilities and Practice: Heroic
Tasks
and Self Education."
Nov. 21-25, Thanksgiving Break.
#22ff
(Mon., Nov. 26 - Wed., Dec. 5) Student presentations on
projects. These presentations are
to be
about 10 minutes in length per student, depending on the size of
the
class, and the number of students presenting. A solo presenter
will have
10 minutes; a group of 2-3 students will have 15 minutes; groups
of 3-5
students will have 20 minutes). Presentations 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.
(Wed., Dec. 5) Make-up presentations and final evaluations (if not done, and depending on the implementation of the new evaluation system). 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.
Cline,
Ernest. Ready Player One.
Cohn, Rachel, and David Levithan. Nick and Norah’s Infinite
Playlist.
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.
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, On Becoming a
Novelist.
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.
Griffith,
Nicola. The Blue Place.
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.).
Maktub (2017, directed by Oded Raz).
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, Diamond Age, 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.
Their Finest (2017, directed by Lone Scherfig).
Ushpizin (2004, directed by Giddi Dar).
Vinge, Vernor. Rainbows End, and other works.
Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt. Mother Night, Slaughterhouse Five, and
other works.
Wachowski, Lana and Lilly. 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. Blackout/All Clear, 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 COR 400G, Heroism and the Human Spirit
Back to Kagan's Homepage: http://web.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html