Michael Krom

COR 101 02: NARRATIVES OF THE SELF I

FALL, 2004

What is This Course About?

Narratives of the Self I is the first half of a year-long investigation into the nature of the self. Through an examination of fictional characters such as Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey, we will attempt to draw out the relationship between the individual and the world.  By analyzing philosophical accounts of the self, we will address some of the fundamental questions of human existence – What is a good life?  How should we as humans live?  As we ‘travel’ through these works we must ask ourselves how the views presented differ from our own, and bear in mind that, like the great adventurer Odysseus, a good traveler must be receptive to what he or she finds.

On a practical level, this course aims to acquaint you with some of the great intellectual forces that have shaped world history and which continue to exert an enormous power over our opinions and prejudices. But on a more important level, this course is designed to help you think by forcing you to wrestle with thinkers whose minds are far superior to yours and mine. This is not easy to do, and will not be mastered overnight, but with constant hard work and a sincere zeal for the subject, it can be done.  For many people it does not come naturally to think critically about a novel, or to examine complex arguments (much less recognize them in non-traditional forms); this course is designed to help you do precisely this.  In short, the objectives of this course are 1) to teach you to think critically by a) recognizing arguments, presuppositions, and worldviews in poetical and philosophical works; b) analyzing these arguments; and c) formulating opinions about them based on reflective criteria; 2) to challenge you to reflect on the way you view the world by taking seriously cultures, philosophers, and writers whose ways of looking at the world may be radically different from your own; 3) to expose you to some of the perennial questions of human existence.

This, therefore, is not an easy course. The readings are often difficult, for they deal with the kind of knowledge most difficult to obtain: self-knowledge.  In most classes you are expected to study some aspect of the universe in such a way as to, as it were, detach yourself from the object of inquiry in a search for ‘objective’ truth; the opposite will be the case here – we are concerned primarily with that ‘self’ or ‘subject’ that does the observing.  Further, asking and answering the questions entailed by such an inquiry has little in common with the private musings of someone who has “deep thoughts” while looking at a pretty sunset. It is scientific in its precision -- and in its rigor.  Finally, what may be of most difficulty in beginning such a task is the awareness that what may be uncovered is one’s own shortcomings and erroneous opinions.  Do not lose heart, however, for such adventures lead to discoveries about ourselves and our world that will help us in forming our character and living a good life.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Aristophanes.  The Clouds.

St. Augustine.  Confessions.

Beowulf.

???.  The Bible.  

Homer.  Odyssey.

Plato.  The Trial and Death of Socrates.

Shakespeare.  Othello.

Sophocles.  Oedipus the King.

***With the exception of The Bible, you are required to have the editions available in the 

      bookstore***

GRADING:

1.  Papers                                                                                                                                               60% (20%X3)

2.  Class Participation                                                                                                                          20%

3.  Reading Reflections                                                                                                       20%

1.  You are to write three 5-7 page papers for this course (see below for due dates) on a topic to be chosen either a) from a list I will prepare, or b) in consultation with me.  I encourage you to write on whatever interests you; I only ask that you see me for advice or help in formulating your thesis.  Each paper is worth 20% of your grade for the course.  The papers will be graded on a standard A-F letter grade scale.  For each calendar day that a paper is late, you will lose two-thirds of a grade; e.g. a paper due on Monday that is handed in any time after the beginning of class on Monday until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday that would have received an ‘A’ will get a ‘B+‘.  Unless you have a note from a doctor or nurse, dean, leader of a recognized nation, etc., there are no exceptions to this policy.

2.  By Class Participation I mean not merely participating in class, but intelligently participating. This will require you to 1) attend all of the classes - any more than two unexcused absences (i.e. an absence without a note) will result in a reduction of one letter grade, e.g. from an ‘A’ to a ‘B’.  For each subsequent absence one letter grade will be taken off.  Further, I consider any student not present when I call roll absent.  I tend to call roll as soon as class begins.  In other words, if you cannot come on time and/or do not plan on coming to every class, you may want to consider taking another course – it is IMPOSSIBLE to get an ‘A’ in this course just by taking the exams; 2) read all of the readings for that day and to think about them as you do; 3) be prepared to ask a reflective question about the reading assigned for the day.  You do not need to write anything down, but you should come to class each day with the thought in mind that you may be called on to ask a reflective question about the reading; 4) actively yet moderately participate in the class discussion – even if you find it difficult to speak in class, at the very least you should take it upon yourself to ask for clarification on subject-matters you do not understand; 5) come to class each day prepared to take a POP QUIZ; 6) be prepared to recite from memory a short passage that will have been assigned the class before.

3.  By Reading Reflections I mean the following:  for any four classes throughout the semester, you are to turn in a one-page minimum reflection on the reading material or class discussion.  In addition to this you are to turn in a reflection Friday, August 27th. Only one reflection will be accepted per class, and it must pertain either to the reading for that day or the discussion from the previous class.  The reflection may take one of two forms:  1) a question prompted by your reading of the text and/or class discussion and an explanation of it – Why is it important?  What are you trying to get at?  What prompted it?, for example; 2) a position paper on some aspect of the reading assignment and/or class discussion.  As for the grading, a paper especially insightful will receive a check-plus, a passing paper a check, and a paper that needs to be re-written a check-minus.  ‘Check-pluses’ can help those on the borderline at the end of the semester between two grades.

***Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any way. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with Oglethorpe University policy.  In conformity with the University’s policy, all written work must be turned in with the following signed pledge:  “I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in completing this assignment.”

READING SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE):

Week 1 (8/25, 8/27):  Opening Remarks; Homer, Odyssey I-IV

Week 2 (8/30, 9/2, 9/4):  Homer, Odyssey V-XV

Week 3 (9/8, 9/10):   Homer, Odyssey XVI-XXIV

Week 4 (9/13, 9/15, 9/17):  Sophocles, Oedipus the King; Aristotle, Poetics (handout);

Aristophanes, The Clouds.

Week 5 (9/20, 9/22, 9/24):  Plato, Ion (handout), Euthyphro, Apology, Phaedo (death

scene); Euclid (handout)

Week 6 (9/27, 9/29, 10/1):  Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics I-IV

***1ST PAPER DUE ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH***

Week 7 (10/4, 10/6, 10/8):  Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics V-VIII

Week 8 (10/13, 10/15):  Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics IX-X; Aristotle, Metaphysics I,

1 (handout)

Week 9 (10/18, 10/20, 10/22):  Genesis, 1-50 (50); Exodus 1-20 (20); Deuteronomy 6-11

(5), 30; 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 11-12 (2)

Week 10 (10/25, 10/27, 10/29):  Isaiah 1-6, 52-53 (5); Jonah 1-4 (3); Malachi 1-4 (3);

Luke 20:9-17 (1); John 1-21 (26); Romans 1-8 (8); Revelations (The Apocalypse)

21-22 (2)

Week 11 (11/1, 11/3, 11/5):  Augustine, Confessions I-IV

***2ND PAPER DUE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD***

Week 12 (11/8, 11/10, 11/12): Augustine, Confessions V-VIII

Week 13 (11/15, 11/17, 11/19):  Augustine, Confessions IX-XI

Week 14 (11/22):  Beowulf (handout)

Week 15 (11/29, 12/1, 12/3):  J.R.R. Tolkien, On Fairy-Stories  (handout); Shakespeare,

Othello.

December 6th:  Last day of class; summary of the course

December 10th:  3RD PAPER DUE IN MY OFFICE AT NOON.