MontclairHighSchool
CourseSyllabus
Department:English
Course:PhilosophyandComposition
Level:HonorsandHighHonors
Credits:5
CourseDescription:
PhilosophyandCompositionisacompositioncoursethatenablesstudentstolearnaboutwritingand
theirownideasthroughreadingandwritingliteraryphilosophy.Itisatwo-partcourse(semesterone:
AncientIdeasintheWesternTradition,andPhilosophyandsemestertwo:ModernIdeasinthe
WesternTradition)thatusesliteraryphilosophyasmodelsforwritingaboutphilosophicalideasand
concerns.
Standards:RL.11-12.1-10,RI.11-12.1-10,W.11-12.1-10,SL.11-12.1-6,L.11-12.1-6
AnchorText(s):
TextTitle
Publisher/Author Year/Edition
ISBN
Text
Distribution
Noanchortext:
Seelistoftexts
forsemester1
atendof
document
Textsare
distributedin
hardcopyand
online
Online,alltextsareinthepublicdomainandcanbeaccessedattheteacher’swiki:
vitruvianman.wikispaces.com
SupplementaryMaterials:
coursepackets,internetsources,articlesfoundonJStor(accessiblethroughLibraryResource
pageontheBOEsite).
UnitsofStudy:
PartOne
IntroductiontoLiteraryPhilosophyandIntroductiontoRhetoricalTools
Studentsexaminethenatureandpurposeofphilosophicalinquirybystudyingnotionsof
subterfuge,lying,truth-telling,andcensorship.
Studentsexplorethenatureofphilosophicalinquirybycomparingdifferentmethodsof
philosophyandinquiryandbydefiningphilosophy.Studentsreadandwriteontextsthatexplorethe
natureofphilosophy.Studentswillexplorethedifferencesbetweenadmiringwell-conceived
philosophicaltextsandengagingindirectdiscussiononphilosophicalissues.Studentswillalsoquestion
towhatextentnewideascanevolvefromreceivedformsofexpression.Studentswillconsiderwhat
usesphilosophycanbeputto,andtheplaceofphilosophyinthehistoryofwriting.
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Whilefollowingthecourserequirementsforwriting,studentswillbeencouragetoexplorenew
formsofphilosophicalexplorationandthejustificationofthosenewforms.
GreekLiteraryPhilosophyandItsDescendents
Studentswillexaminethedifferencesbetweennaturalandsocialphilosophy,andtherelationof
theindividualtothestate.Studentswillexplorethechangesinphilosophicalpositionsovertimeand
circumstancetoassessthechangesinideasduetochangesinenvironment.Aconsiderationofthe
opposingschoolsofstoicismandEpicureanismwillfinishtheunit.
AfteranexaminationofGreekandHellenisticphilosophy,studentsexaminetheworkof
Descartes,Kant,Nietzsche,andHarawaytounderstandlaterdevelopmentsindialectic,epistemology,
andontologythathaverootsinGreekthought.
(Optional:RomanLiteraryPhilosophy
LaterdevelopmentsinstoicismandEpicureanismwillbeexplored,aswellastheissueof
philosophyinthetimeofprosperity.Astudyofthesublimewillfinishtheunitandthesemester.)
(Optional:HebrewLiteraryPhilosophy
StudentsreadselectionsfromtheTanakhandtheOldTestamenttoexplorethenatureof
changeintheworldandtheproblemofevil.Studentswillconsidertheroleofusingpoetrytoaddress
theseissues.)
PartTwo
Studentstakeovercontroloftheclassroomandleaddiscussionoftextsthattheclasshaschosenfrom
thefollowingtimeperiodsandthefollowingcategories:feminism,African-
American,Marxism,psychology,andsociology.
RenaissanceLiteraryPhilosophy
TheRenaissance’sinspirationfromtheclassicswillbediscussed.Thenstudentswillconsider
politicalphilosophyinMachiavelliandMore,andpersonalphilosophyinMontaigne,establishingthe
twotracksofthemajorityofmodernphilosophy,thepersonalandthepolitical.
NeoclassicalLiteraryPhilosophy
TheNeoclassicalreturntotheprimacyofformswillbeexaminedinPope’spoetryandVoltaire’s
narrative.Theirturntowardsatirewillbeexaminedasaconditionoftheirenvironment.
RomanticLiteraryPhilosophy
StudentswillstudyRussianandAmericanromanticwriters:ThoreauandEmerson,Dostoevsky
andTolstoy,tostudyTranscendentalismandNihilism.
Modern(Scientistic)LiteraryPhilosophy
Studentswillstudywriterscommittedtoadisciplineofthought,suchaseconomicsor
psychological,academic-artisticororganic-political.Duringthegreatadvancesofscienceand
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technology,whathappenstoliteraryphilosophy?Thesubconsciousofindividualmanisexplored,as
wellastheeconomyofspecies-man;thesupermanandtheorganicintellectualareconsideredasforces
inhistory.
ExistentialistandTechnologicalPhilosophy
Theconditionsofman,andwoman,areconsideredtobethekeyelementsinanyphilosophyof
life.Existentialismleadstofeminismintheanalysisofdailylifeandaction.Theroleoftechnologyis
alsoconsidered,andfinallystudentsareaskedtoconsidertheirroleintheevilsofsocietyandtheir
attemptstoleadaqualitylife.Isoneavictim,oravictimizer?
Proficiencies:Bytheendofthiscourse,studentswill:
1. Organize,prepare,andpresentaspokenpresentationclearlyandexpressivelythat
demonstratesasynthesisofmultipleinformationalandtechnicalsourcesandthatdrawsan
originalconclusion.
2. Planandmanagethewritingofaananthologythatproceedsfromtheselectionofvarious
papers.
3. Useresearchskillstoaccess,interpret,andapplyinformationfromavarietyofprintand
non-printsourcesandusingspecializeddatabasesforadvancedresearch.
4. Experienceandrespondtoprintandnon-printmedia,recognizingbias,specializeinterest,
andmanipulationofinformationthroughactiveengagementwithappropriatemethodsof
analysis,interpretation,andevaluation.
5. Useavarietyoftechnologiesasatoolforlearning.
6. Uselanguageartsskillsfordecision-making,negotiating,andproblemsolving.
7. Collaboratebysharingandcritiquingideas,examples,andinsightsproductivelyand
respectfullyininformalandformalpresentationsanddiscussions,demonstrating
interpersonal,communicative,andleadershipskills.
8. Composeavarietyofwritten,spoken,andviewingitemsfordifferentpurposesand
audiences.
9. Recognizethatreadinghasmanypurposesanddemonstrateanabilitytochoosean
approachappropriatetothetextandpurpose.
10. Recognizetheactandimportanceoflistening.
11. Readandrespondtoabroadrangeofliterature.
12. Developabetterunderstandingofthemselves,others,andtheworldthroughlanguageand
literature.
13. Continuetoassesspersonalinterests,abilities,andskillsthroughself-assessments.
Evaluation&Assessment:
ALLCOURSESMUSTHAVEGRADINGCATEGORIESWITHPERCENTAGES/POINTSINCLUDEDONSYLLABUS
Homeworkshouldbenomorethan15%ofeachmarkingperiodgrade,andMidterm/FinalExam
Benchmarksare5%oftheFinalGrade:
• Homework
limitedto15%ofmarkingperiodgrade
• CommonBenchmarks(Midterm&FinalExams)
5%offinalgrade
•
Papers
60%
- 4majorpapersof5ormorepages,eachhavinggonethroughaprocessofprewriting,firstdraftand
response,seconddraftandresponse,andfinaldraftandconference.
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•Presentations
15%
•Discussionandclasswork 5%
• Rubricsforevaluationwillbeprovidedforeachwritingassignment
• Teachercommentaryonstudentwritingwillidentifystrengthsandhighlightareasforimprovementinan
ongoingefforttofostereachstudent’sgrowthasawriter.
• Writtenworkwillbegradedandreturnedinatimelymanner–generally
withintwoweeks–toprovidedetailedinformationabouteachstudent’s
progress.
Listoftextsforsemester1
“OnBullshit,”HarryFrankfurt
“ExamsmanshipandtheLiberalArts:AStudyinEducationalEpistemology,”WilliamPerry,Jr.
“OnLying”(Demendacio),St.Augustine
“Areopagitica,”JohnMilton
Plato,“Protagoras”
Plato,“Phaedrus”
Plato,“Gorgias”
Epicurus,“LettertoHerodotus”
Epicurus,“PrincipalDoctrines”
Zeno,“Ethics”
Zeno,“Physics”
Descartes,DiscourseonMethod(ofRightlyConductingOne’sReasonandSeekingTruthintheSciences)
Descartes,MeditationsonFirstPhilosophy(inWhichAreDemonstratedtheExistenceofGodandthe
DistinctionbetweentheHumanSoulandBody)
Kant,Prolegomena[Preliminaries]toAnyFutureMetaphysicsThatCanConsiderItselfasaScience
Kant,GroundworkfortheMetaphysicofMorals
Nietzsche,ThusSpakeZarathustra:ABookforAllandNone,Parts1,2,3
Williams,fromMarxismandLiterature
Haraway,“ManifestoforCyborgs”
Texts are distributed to students in packets, are in the public domain, and can be accessed at the
teacher’swiki:vitruvianman.wikispaces.com
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