PL 088/TH 088, Sec. 10: Person and Social Responsibility

T, TH 12:00pm, Carney 009

Prof. Roberto S. Goizueta

Office Hours: T, TH 9:30-10:45am, 1:30-2:45pm or by appointment

Office: Carney 467

Phone: 617-55(2-1226)

E-Mail: goizueta@bc.edu

Graduate Assistant: Mark Potter

E-Mail: pottermb@bc.edu

This is a two-semester, twelve credit course fulfilling all core requirements in philosophy and theology. The course content includes readings, class discussions, written assignments, and field projects. You may select your field involvement from the range of field projects sponsored by the Pulse Program. (Contact the Pulse Office at McElroy 117.)

The classroom and field assignments are intended to complement each other in leading students to examine the meaning of their lives, the society they live in, and their place in that society. In your field projects, you will undoubtedly encounter people, places, and situations which will cause you to question many of your previous assumptions. In the class readings, we will engage the writings of men and women who have raised similar questions and who can thus assist us in grappling with questions concerning the meaning of life, the nature of human happiness, and the relationship between the individual and social institutions.

Albert Camus, The Plague

Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

Jonathan Kozol, Ordinary Resurrections

Elizabeth Johnson, Consider Jesus

Gustavo Gutiérrez, On Job

Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

Michael Himes, Doing the Truth in Love (also required for spring semester)

Bible (any authorized version)

Course Requirements: An evaluation of your field work by your field supervisor will count for 40% of your grade. The remaining 60% will be based on the midterm exam (10%), final exam (20%), the content of your journal (20%), and classroom and discussion group participation (10%). Please note that attendance and preparation are prerequisites for participation. Also note that the Pulse Program specifies that a grade of F in either class or field placement constitutes a failure in the course.

The midterm exam questions will be distributed on October 9 and answered in class on October 11. The final exam will be a take-home exam; the questions will be distributed on December 6 and the completed exams will be due on December 16, by 5:00pm. Both exams will be composed of essay questions.

Journals are due every other Thursday, starting on October 4. Each student’s journal should include detailed descriptions of his/her experiences in the field placements (e.g., people, situations, activities, thoughts, feelings). In the journal entries, each student should draw upon class readings, lectures, and/or class discussions to analyze, illuminate, and critique his/her experiences in the field placement. The student should also indicate how the field experiences help illuminate the readings, lectures, and discussions.

Journal grades will be based on the student’s ability to draw relevant connections between the placement experiences and the classroom work. Each time it is turned in, a journal will be assigned a grade of "1", "2", or "3" (from lowest to highest). At the end of the semester, these points will be added together and a final journal grade assigned: 0-1 total points= F, 2=D, 3=C-, 4=C, 5=C+, 6-7=B-, 8-9=B, 10-11=B+, 12-13=A-, 14-15=A.

Discussion Groups: In making up your class and placement schedules, please remember to budget time for your weekly discussion group meeting. Attendance and participation in your discussion group are essential. Discussion groups will begin to meet during the week of September 17. Discussion group information is as follows:

Tuesdays, 11:00-11:50am, Carney 007 (officially designated PL080, Sec. 19)

Thursdays, 3:00-3:50pm, Carney 007 (officially designated PL080, Sec. 20)

Reading Schedule:

Sep. 4—Introduction

Sep. 6—Camus, The Plague, pp. 3-51.

Sep. 11—Camus, pp. 51-130.

Sep. 13—Camus, pp. 131-185.

Sep. 18—Camus, pp. 189-257.

Sep. 20—Camus, pp. 258-308.

Sep. 25—Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Sep. 27—Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, pp. 1-30.

Oct. 2—Aristotle, pp. 67-85, 114-119.

Oct. 4—Aristotle, pp. 119-153; Journals due.

Oct. 9—Aristotle, pp. 153-171; Midterm exam questions distributed.

Oct. 11—Midterm Exam

Oct. 16—Kozol, Ordinary Resurrections, Introduction through Chap. 7.

Oct. 18—Kozol, Chaps. 8 through 12; Journals due.

Oct. 23—Kozol, Chaps. 13 through 19.

Oct. 25—Kozol, Chaps. 20 through Epilogue.

Oct. 30—Gutiérrez, On Job, pp. ix-55.

Nov. 1—Gutiérrez, pp. 56-103; Journals due.

Nov. 6—Johnson, Consider Jesus, pp. ix-34.

Nov. 8—Johnson, pp. 35-66.

Nov. 13—Johnson, 67-113.

Nov. 15—Johnson, pp. 115-146; Journals due.

Nov. 20—Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation, pp. ix-51.

Nov. 27—Merton, pp. 52-69, 80-111.

Nov. 29—Merton, pp. 112-149, 250-261; Journals due.

Dec. 4—Himes, Doing the Truth in Love, pp. 1-37.

Dec. 6—Himes, pp. 38-67; Take-home final exam questions distributed.

Dec. 18—Final Examination due by 5:00pm.