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Overview
of Common Elements of Human Nature
- Readings from Nina
Rosenstand's The Human Condition (ISBN 1-55934-764-3)
- Assignments: 2-page
essays in weeks 1, 2, and 4, and a poster in week 3.
- Meetings: faculty
panels, student poster session, and a film. Attendance at these meetings
is mandatory.
- Events: Students
must attend at least 3 for full credit. In addition to those below,
instructors can approve additional events for credit.
At events marked with a red hat, students must find a student
worker who will be wearing a bright red baseball hat and sign
next to their name to receive credit for attendance.
At events marked with a clipboard, students must sign in at
a central location (usually a reception desk) to receive credit.
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Schedule
| Week
1 |
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Question
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What
are the principal qualities of human nature? Discussion of traits
that are commonly assumed to be nearly universal and found exclusively
among humans |
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Read
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Rosenstand
Chapter 1: The Storytelling Animal. Pages 3-19 (primary
readings pp. 20-30 optional) |
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Assignment
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Two-page
essay answering the week's question due Friday, 5/6 |
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Meet
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Friday,
May 6th, 9am-11am, CFA Recital Hall. Faculty panel on the essential
characteristics of human nature |
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Events
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The Butterfly
Effect
(film): Thurs, May 5th, Classic 102, showtime 7:00 pm. FREE
pop and popcorn to go with the movie. Discussion to follow
with Dr. Don Carrell.
Relay for Life:
7pm Fri, May 6th to 7am, Sat, May 7th. Horner Center. American
Cancer Society's largest fund-raising event. More
information.
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| Week
2 |
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Question
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What
are the origins of human nature? Discussion of ultimate origins
(creation myths, evolutionary) as well as the degree to which
human nature is determined by genes, the physical environment,
culture, personal choice, and significant others. This question
addresses not only the "nature versus nurture" question
but also the free will versus determinism question (which in
turn is related to the role of choice in defining ourselves). |
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Read
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Rosenstand
Chapter 2: Stories of Human Origins. Pages 32-46 (primary
readings pp. 47-50 optional) |
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Assignment
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Two-page
essay answering the week's question due Friday, 5/13 |
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Meet
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Friday,
May 13th, 9am-11am, CFA Recital Hall. Faculty panel on the origins
of human nature. A brief supplemental reading on evolutionary
psychology recommended by Dr. Dennis McDonald is available here. |
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Events
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To
Live (film):
Mon, May 9th, CLA
102, showtime 1:00 pm. Discussion to follow with HN Section
X: Dr. Larry Thornton, Dr. Xiaolong Wu, and Dr. Jeff Hughes.
Memento
(film):
Wed, May 11th, Donner Lecture Hall, showtime 7:00 pm. Discussion
to follow with Dr. Bill Altermatt and Dr. Michelle Mamberg.
Religion and
homosexuality discussion:
Thu, May 12th, 8pm, Classic 102. Moderated by Rev. Todd Ekloff,
Unitarian minister from Louisville.
Wake Up and
Live: Sat, May 14th and Sun, May 15th (evenings). Music,
workshops, etc. designed to evoke each individuals creative
spirit and cultivate the magic of a collective vision.
Rubi Girls film
and drag show: Sat,
May 14, 8pm, Parker Auditorium, FREE admission for Hanover
students, $5 admission for non-Hanover students.
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| Week
3 |
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Question
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What
qualities should people aspire to, and how should we live? Discussion
of the best way for people to live, perhaps facilitated by questions
such as "Who has lived the best life, and why?" or
"If you had only six months to live, what would you do?"
This question may also be the best opportunity to discuss the
human potential for good and evil. |
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Read
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Rosenstand
Chapter 8: Stuck Between Good and Evil. Pages 274-323
(primary readings pp. 325-344 optional). Shortened version:
read pages 274-281, 286-296, 304-315, and 337-345. |
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Assignment
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Students
should use a single 22" x 28" sheet of posterboard
(available at the bookstore and other local stores) and put
on this posterboard: 1) A short written answer to one or both
of the questions "What qualities should people aspire to?"
and/or "How should we live?" that draws upon at least
one of the ideas in the Rosenstand reading; 2) Some visual elements
(photos, drawings, diagrams, etc.) that help to illustrate this
answer; and 3) A paragraph that explains how the visual elements
help to illustrate the answer. Text should be printed in font
large enough to be read from a distance of 3 feet (I'd suggest
16-point-font or larger). An example poster that might earn
a "barely satisfactory" grade but that at least depicts
the arrangement of elements is available as a PowerPoint file
at the following location: http://vault.hanover.edu/~altermattw/hn/assets/sample-poster.ppt
In that file, the blue field represents the posterboard, on
which has been glued three sheets of paper with text and pictures.
We recommend that faculty base their grading (which can be according
to the check-minus, check, check-plus system or any system that
works for you) primarily on the answer and the paragraph description.
Students should bring their posters to the Lynn Hall Gymnasium
by 9am next Friday. |
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Meet
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Friday, May 20th,
9am-11am, Lynn Gym. Poster session. Students will hang up
their posters and vote on the best posters in several categories.
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Events
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Amen
(film): Mon, May 16th, CLA 102, showtime 1:00 pm.
Discussion to follow with HN Section X: Dr. Larry Thornton,
Dr. Xiaolong Wu, and Dr. Jeff Hughes.
Office Space
(film): Wed, May 18th, Horner 102, showtime 7pm.
Stepford Wives
(1975)
(film): Thurs, May 19th, Horner 102, showtime 7pm.
Alumni and Student
Service Project: Sat, May 21st. Show up at the CC Lobby
between 1:45pm and 2:00pm to sign up for a site. Work at a
site from 2:30 to 5:00. Generally consists of hands-on projects
designed to improve the grounds and landscaping of Hanover
College.
Drive-in Movie:
The Godfather, Saturday, May 21st, after dark (beginning
around 8:30-9pm), the Quad (rain site: Lynn Hall)
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| Week
4 |
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Question
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What
is our obligation to society and to our fellow human beings?
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Read
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Rosenstand
Chapter 9: The Political Animal. Pages 349-381 (primary
readings pp. 382-398 optional) |
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Assignment
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Students
will be given a copy of the essay they wrote on this question
during the August Experience and will re-write the essay (2-page
minumum) integrating material from the Rosenstand chapter and
their course. Due Friday, May 27th. (Instructors: a password-protected
PDF copy of the story used for the August essay is available
here. Instructors should keep one set
of these essays unmarked and submit them to Katy Lowe Schneider
for assessment.) |
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Meet
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Thursday, May 26th,
9am-11am, CFA Recital Hall. Film: The Shawshank Redemption
followed by discussion.
Friday, May 27th,
11:30am-1:30pm. Picnic lunch.
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Events
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Cross Purposes
(play): "Cross Purposes is a crime drama set
in the interrogation room that explores free will and religious
influence on the individual, motivation behind suicide and
murder, the human capacity for deceit, and human psychological
responses under stress." It is a one-act play and will
be held at 8pm in Parker auditorium on Mon, 5/23 and Tues,
5/24.
People of
the Forest: The Chimps of Gombe (film): A documentary
of chimpanzee life, with emphasis on how similar chimpanzees
are to humans. Discussion afterward with Dr. Dennis McDonald,
dept. of biology. Tues, 5/24, 6-8pm, Horner 102. See Dr. McDonald
for the sign-in sheet.
Beat Poetry
Happening: Open mic poetry reading. Thurs, May 26th, CC
Patio, 1pm-2ish. Sign-in sheet will be available at the event.
American
History X
(film): Thurs, May 26th, Horner
102,
showtime 7pm.
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