Philosophy 403 |
Office Hours in RH-428 (445-4489) |
Heroism and the Human Spirit |
M 1:30-2:20 p.m. & TU & TH 2:25 -3:15 p.m. |
Philosophy Seminar, Fall, 2008 |
and by appointment. |
Prof. Michael Kagan |
Email: kagan@lemoyne.edu |
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
ABOUT
THE SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
You are to select and complete five of the nine 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 5 minutes of videotaped material for
your presentation.
If the class is
meeting in a room with a built-in VCR, 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 or on the
web at
http://www.lemoyne.edu/information_systems/audio_visual/class.html
- 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.
Hermann
Hesse, Journey
to the East.
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.
Lois McMaster Bujold, Young
Miles.
Connie
Willis, Bellwether.
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 classes or office hours on the following dates: Mon., Sept.
1, Labor Day; Tuesday, Sep. 30 (Rosh Ha Shanah); Thurs., Oct.
9, Yom Kippur; Oct. 13-14, Fall Break; Nov. 26-30, Thanksgiving
Break.
Last day of class: Dec.4
(Thurs.). PROJECT
PROPOSALS DUE THURSDAY, OCT. 16. WRITTEN PROJECTS
DUE: THURSDAY, NOV. 20.
TENTATIVE
COURSE SCHEDULE AND SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS ['*' MARKS WEEKS IN WHICH
STUDENTS PRESENT ON READINGS.]
#1
(Tues., Aug. 26) Introduce course, choose groups and schedule
presentations on readings.
#2 (Thurs., Aug. 28) -- In-class
writing on childhood heroes.
No
office hours., Sep. 1 (Labor Day) .
#3
(Tues., Sep. 2) Discussion of heroic scripting.
#4
(Thurs., Sep. 4) Self-deception and bad faith. Instructor
presents on Le Guin's "Those who walk away from Omelas, "
and/or Card's "The Best Day" (from Maps
in a Mirror) . The
temptation to deny the best and the worst.
*#5 (Tues., Sep. 9)
Students present on Walter Mosley's "Crimson Shadow" (in
Always Outnumbered,
Always Outgunned)
SHORT WRITING
ASSIGNMENT: Which
character(s) in this story seems best able to learn from their
experience? How and/or why? What can we learn from
this?
#6 (Thurs. Sep. 11) Instructor presents on
Orson Scott Card's "The Porcelain Salamander" (from Maps
in a Mirror).
Group work on "The Porcelain Salamander."
**#7 (Tues.,
Sep. 16) Students present on Hesse's Journey
to the East. SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: Did
you like any of the characters in this book? Why? If you
could ask any of the characters one question, what would you ask
them? Do you think you would want to know the answer? Why or
why not?
*#9
(Thurs, Sep.18). SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: Students
present on Stephen King's "The Body" (in Different
Seasons). Did
you like any of the characters in this book? Why? If you
could ask any of the characters one question, what would you ask
them? Do you think you would want to know the answer? Why or
why not?
#10 (Tues.,Sep. 23) Instructor presents on Rand's
philosophy.
*#11 (Thurs., Sep.
25) 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 heroes resist this choice? Does our
society also put some in a position that will keep them from hurting
the status quo? Why or why not?
No
class or office hours Tues., Sep. 30, Rosh HaShanah.
#12
(Thurs., Oct. 2) Lecture on problem of personal identity.
*#13
(Tues., Oct. 7) Students present on Octavia Butler's "The
Evening and the Morning, and the Night" (in the Bloodchild
anthology) . SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: Who
in this story reminds you of someone you have encountered (in life or
literature)? How so? Have they chosen to do what they do
best? Why or why not? Please explain, using
examples from the story.
No
class or office hours, Thurs., Oct. 9, Yom Kippur.
No
classes, Oct. 13-14, (Mon.-Tues.), Fall Break.
#14
(Thurs , Oct. 16. ) Lecture on "Becker, Childhood, and
Scary Stories" Read Denial
of Death,
Introduction & Part I (Chapters 1-6). PROJECT
PROPOSALS DUE THURSDAY, OCT. 16.
#15
(Tues., Oct. 21) Instructor presents one way of reading King (and
others).
* #16 ( Thurs., Oct. 23) Students present on Stephen
King's "The Breathing Method" (in Different
Seasons).
SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: Did
you like any of the characters in this book? Why? If you
could ask any of the characters one question, what would you ask
them? Do you think you would want to know the answer? Why or
why not?
* #18
(Tues., Oct. 28). Students
present on The
Warrior's Apprentice and/or
"The Mountains of Mourning," in Young
Miles, by Lois
McMaster Bujold. SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: In
the world Bujold describes, one's life path is chosen by others
at an early age - how do the heroes in either or both of these two
stories resist this choice? Which hero's resistance do you think took
more courage? Why?
#20
(Thurs., Oct. 30) -
Instructor presents on Heroic Myths (Campbell and Raffa) and the
twice born, related to the readings in and implications concerning
discrimination and deception. Bring Bloodchild
to class. Read Butler's "Positive Obsession."
*#21
(Tues., Nov. 4) Student's present on "Last Rites" in
Walter Mosley's Always
Outnumbered, Always Outgunned.
SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT
DUE:
What kind of
heroism do Mosley's characters show in this story? What does
this story suggest about dignity and self-respect? Who shows
the most compassion and/or courage? How?
*#22
(Thurs. Nov. 6) SHORT
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE:
What is Willis trying to get us to take less seriously in this
novel? What is she trying to get us to take more seriously?
Why do you think so? Students present on Connie Willis's
Bellwether.
#23 (Tues.,
Nov.11) Buber's hasidut and Rebbe Nachman's "The Turkey
Prince." (includes group work on Rebbe Nachman's story).
Lecture on "Time and Chance & Sex and Gender"
#24
-(Thurs, Nov. 13) In-class writing exercise on future
autobiography. SCHEDULE
PROJECT PRESENTATIONS.
#25
(Tues. Nov . 18) -
Lecture on
"Possibilities and Practice: Heroic Tasks and Self Education."
Read Octavia Butler's "Furor Scribendi."
#26ff.
(Thurs. Nov. 20 to Thurs, Dec. 4) Student
presentations on projects begin. WRITTEN PROJECTS ARE DUE:
Thurs., NOV. 20. 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. No
classes Nov. 26-30 (Thanksgiving Break). Thurs.,
December 4, make-up presentations/final evaluations (if they haven't
taken place). LAST DAY OF CLASS:
Dec. 4.
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..
Gardner, John. The Art of
Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers.
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. 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.
Silverberg, Robert. Lord
Valentine's Castle.
Smith, Dominic. The
Beautiful Miscellaneous (New York: Atria
Books, 2007).
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.
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.)
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.
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
Academic Support Center: http://www.lemoyne.edu/academic_support_center/spneed.html