World Religions & Philosophy
The overall focus of the World Religions & Philosophy curriculum is on the major world religions and cultures.
The program includes study of cultural thought and belief systems, historical events, and philosophical
movements. Through the World Religions & Philosophy curriculum, students explore principles of decision-
making, inquire into the spiritual dimensions of life, and examine a variety of religious traditions. Students build
an individual understanding of the meaning of interconnections—with self, with others, with their own spirituality, and with the universe. The study of world religions is integrated into the Humanities I and II courses for
the 9th and 10th grades.
Elective Courses—2007-2008
African American Spirituality and Philosophy
During their freshman and sophomore years, the students in Humanities explored the manner in which humans have sought to make meaning of their existence and the world around them. Two of the questions which tended to guide our discussion of such issues were: How do we perceive the world? How do we behave as a consequence? With the premise that environment, perception, and behavior are inextricably linked, the African American Spirituality and Philosophy course will examine the African American experience with a particular emphasis upon the following: African American perceptions of the world around them from their arrival to America as slaves to the modern day; the development of African American spiritual and philosophical traditions as they have sought to make meaning of their world. The course will begin with a brief overview of African traditions prior to the advent of the slave trade, and we will spend the term primarily examining African American interpretations of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, as well as the development of Rastafarianism.
The Bible and Popular Culture
This course reads and studies the Bible as a piece of literature—an enormously influential work that has shaped and informed Western culture for thousands of years—considering its meaning and implications in depth. The class will then investigate the myriad ways in which the Bible appears in and shapes Western popular culture today. Along the way, close reading, hypotheses, exploration of texts, and discussion will be emphasized. Works studied will include: The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Who Wrote the Bible? (Friedman), Religion and its Monsters (Beal), and examples from music, literature, and film.
Comparative Philosophy
This course grounds students in the study of philosophy and explores central questions within a comparative framework. Students read a wide range of responses to shared concerns, largely centering around the following three core questions: What is the good life? (What does it mean to be human? Why be good? What is happiness?) What is the role of the individual in society? (What is his/her responsibility? What does society owe the individual? How should we relate to others?) What is justice and the role of judgment within it? (What constitutes freedom, liberty, and justice? What is the just state?) To address these questions, students read classical and contemporary philosophers from the East and West and draw upon film and literary selections as supplemental texts. Students will pursue a separate inquiry of their own central question as their final project.
Homer and Aristotle: Applied Ethics in Popular Culture
This course introduces the branch of philosophy known as Ethics, and examines the many ways in which basic ethical conflicts animate both drama and humor in modern life as seen in popular culture. The course will concentrate on The Simpsons because this series is familiar to students, and is one of the most intelligent and allusive comedies on television.
The primary text used in the course is The Simpsons and Philosophy, a collection of 18 essays that connect the
characters and conflicts with the thinking of Socrates, Marx, Camus, Sartre, Heidegger, Kant and other key
philosophers. The book includes a chronology of philosophers including their original writings. This will be supplemented by primary philosophic texts, critical interpretations, online resources including college seminars, and even Simpsons episodes. Students will write short papers exploring ethical issues, and as a final project they
will write a longer paper that describes and defends (or attacks) the ethics portrayed in an artifact of popular
culture such as a TV show, movie, magazine, music video, or album.
The Problem of Evil
What constitutes evil and why does it exist? This course focuses on these important questions through studying the liabilities of freedom. The path takes us through literature, philosophy, and theology, as students examine how people try to explain the existence of evil in the world. Works studied will include: The Problem of Evil: Oxford Readings in Philosophy, The Doors of the Sea: Where was God in the Tsunami? (Bentley), All My Sons (Miller), Dark Nature: A Natural History of Evil (Watson), and excerpts from articles, journals, music, literature, and film.