AL 40700 - Phoenix Institute: Heroism Reconsidered

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

Arts and Letters (Non-dept.)

Description:

This Phoenix Institute course is not intended for Notre Dame students. Starting with the heroic quest paradigm that originated with Gilgamesh and Greek mythology, we will explore the attributes and evolution of heroism from ancient to modern times. Because the warrior-heroes of history have often ignored the common good with disastrous consequences, we will look at the various faces of heroism and ask if mankind would profit by loosening the grip that warrior-heroes have on the human imagination. Collaterally, we will explore what can be appropriated from competing models of the hero for personal strength of character, happiness, and humanity's hopes for peace on earth. Texts for this class will include the following: Homer's Iliad (Robert Fagles' translation); Plutarch's Life of Alexander the Great; the Bible (Moses, David, Jesus); selections from John Milton's Paradise Lost; selections from Early Christian Fathers; selections from The Last Letters of Thomas More; war poetry of World War I (Wilfred Owen, "On Passing the Menin Gate" and Siegfried Sassoon, "Dulce et Decorum Est"); World War II war letters from Andrew Carroll's Behind the Lines; Alexandr Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich; Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, and Schindler's List (film).

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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