American artist John Trumbull's oil-on-canvas painting depicting the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence to Congress.

Basic Program Year Four: Spring

Cost
525.00

This course was available in the past and may be presented again as part of the Basic Program of Liberal Education curriculum.

From Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to Toni Morrison's Beloved, this Year 4 Spring Seminar spotlights readings related to the founding and early years of the United States. In the Tutorial section of the course, students will engage in a close reading of Plato’s dialogue Phaedo, which explores the nature of the soul and death.

Course Outline

For specific dates, see at right under each Section: SCHEDULE AND LOCATION. Reading schedule is identical across all Sections.

Seminar

Week Seminar
1 The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States
2 Federalist Papers 10 and 51
3 Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Volume I, Introduction: pp. 3-15 Volume I, part I, chapters 3 to 4: pp. 45-55 Volume I, part II, chapters 1 to 4: pp. 165-186 Volume II, part II, chapters 5 to 7: pp. 489-500
4 Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Volume I, Part Two, chapter 10: pp. 302-396
5 Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Volume I, Part II, chapters 7-9: pp. 235-302; Volume II, “Notice”: pp. 399-400; Volume II, Part Two, chapters 1 to 2: pp. 477-484 and chapter 8: pp. 500-503; Volume II, Part Four, chapter 1: pp. 639-640 and chapters 6-8: pp. 661-676
6 Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, Second Inaugural (1863, 1865)
7 Morrison, Beloved pp. 1-80
8 Morrison, Beloved pp. 81-160
9 Morrison, Beloved pp. 161-240
10 Morrison, Beloved pp. 241-320

Tutorial

Week Tutorial
1 Plato, Phaedo 57a-63e
2 Plato, Phaedo 63e-69e
3 Plato, Phaedo 69e-77a
4 Plato, Phaedo 77a-84b
5 Plato, Phaedo 84b-91c
6 Plato, Phaedo 91c-99c
7 Plato, Phaedo 99c-103a
8 Plato, Phaedo 103a-107d
9 Plato, Phaedo 107d-114b
10 Plato, Phaedo 114b-118a

Required Texts

  • Declaration of Independence (on Canvas in PDF).
  • U.S. Constitution (on Canvas in PDF).
  • Federalist Papers 10 and 51 (on Canvas in PDF).
  • de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, trans. Mansfield and Winthrop. University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0226805368.
  • Lincoln, Abraham. Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address (on Canvas in PDF).
  • Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Vintage. ISBN 978-1400033416.
  • Plato, Phaedo, in Five Dialogues, Hackett, ISBN 978-0872206335.

Purchase

Books are available using the Textbook order form from the Gleacher Center Bookstore online, or by using the ISBN number to order the correct edition elsewhere.

Notes

Online registration closes Friday, March 15 at 5 pm CT.

You will receive an invitation to join the Canvas site for the course a week before the class begins. The Zoom link for the course will be in Canvas. For more information about Canvas, please see our Remote Learning Resources page.