Modern History, Literature, and Philosophy (Live)
In this 8-week live course, students will get an overview of early modern history, literature, and philosophy. They will read segments of texts from these domains, and we will discuss them using the Socratic method during class meetings.
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What's included
8 live meetings
6 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursAssignments
2-4 hours per week. Reading assignments will be required prior to each class meeting. Weekly optional writing assignments of around 250 words will also be offered. I will provide grading and feedback on these assignments if it is desired. In order to receive a grade for the course, students must complete at least four of these assignments. They can complete another assignment to replace a grade if they wish, for up to eight completed assignments. A student who only completes two assignments may receive a certificate of completion for the course if they choose. Written assignments are entirely optional. The only requirement for the course is reading and participating in class discussions.Letter Grade
Letter grades will be offered as an option for students who complete at least four written assignments.Certificate of Completion
A certificate of completion will be offered as an option for students who complete at least two written assignments.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Course Description: In this eight-week class, students will read and discuss a variety of historical, literary, and philosophical texts from the late renaissance and early modern eras. Here “modern” means the time leading up to and surrounding the Enlightenment. Class meetings will utilize a Socratic format where the instructor facilitates a discussion using guided questions. This enables students to interact with each other, the instructor, and the content more actively than in a traditional lecture-style course. Please note that this course will explore a variety of potentially difficult topics, ideas, and events from divergent perspectives. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to review the overview section below in order to determine if they want their child to analyze and discuss this content. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have. *****All learners will be required to have their cameras on for the duration of the live class meetings. This promotes an engaged learning environment for all students.***** Assignments and Grading Policies: Each class meeting will have assigned reading of a segment from one historical, one literary, and one philosophical text. Students are free to read more of each text if they so choose, but the class discussion and optional written assignments will focus on the assigned passages. Each class meeting will have a theme that all three readings touch and the class discussion touch upon at least in part. It is important that students do the assigned readings in order to get the most out of the course. Given the difficulty of these texts, I only expect that students have made a good faith effort to understand the content before each class meeting, not that they have successfully done so. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to submit written work for feedback and grading if they so choose. In order to obtain a grade, students will have to complete four of the optional written assignments. If a student completes two of the assignments, they are eligible to receive a certificate of completion for the course. Students may write more than four written assignments if they so choose. They may also write an additional assignment if they wish to replace a previous grade. I will grade up to eight assignments for each student. The use or aid of any AI tools or large language models is prohibited for written assignments in this course. Students who do not wish to receive a grade or a certificate are welcome to do as much or as little written work as they like. The only requirement for enrollment is participation in weekly Socratic discussions about the assigned readings. *****Readings and written assignments are placed on the date that they are due on the syllabus, not the date that they are assigned.*****
Learning Goals
Students will hone their critical thinking and analytical skills, practice actively participating in group discussions, and gain an understanding of several introductory philosophical concepts.Students will develop a greater understanding of history, thought, and culture in the early modern world.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
On Faith
Students will read segments from Martin Luther's "To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation," Thomas More's "Utopia," and Rene Descartes' "Meditations on First Philosophy." We will go over the readings in class and the instructor will contextualize them thematically. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions.
There will also be an optional written assignment. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
On Reason
Students will read segments from Galileo's "Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina," Miguel de Cervantes' "Don Quixote," and Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia's correspondence with Rene Descartes. We will go over the readings in class and the instructor will contextualize them thematically. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions.
There will also be an optional written assignment. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
On Tyranny
Students will read segments from the Francis Bacon's "The History of the Reign of King Henry VIII," John Milton's "Paradise Lost," and Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan." We will go over the readings in class and the instructor will contextualize them thematically. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions.
There will also be an optional written assignment. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
On Freedom
Students will read segments from Samuel Pepys' diaries, Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe," and philosopher John Locke's "Second Treatise on Government." We will go over the readings in class and the instructor will contextualize them thematically. Then we will have a Socratic discussion based on guided reading questions.
There will also be an optional written assignment. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Please note that this course will explore a variety of potentially difficult topics, ideas, and events from divergent perspectives. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to review the syllabus in order to determine if they wish their child to analyze and discuss this content. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.
Supply List
If your student wishes to read more than the assigned portions of each text, or if you prefer to have physical copies of the books themselves, below is a comprehensive list of the editions we will be using in this course: Bacon, Francis. The History of the Reign of King Henry VIII. Edited by Brian Vickers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Bacon, Francis, Thomas More, and Henry Neville. Edited by Susan Bruce. Three Early Modern Utopias: Utopia, New Atlantis, and The Isle of Pines. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. de Cervantes, Miguel. Don Quixote. Translated by Tobias Smollett. New York: Dover, 2018. Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Edited by Michael Shinagel. New York: Norton, 1993. Descartes, Rene. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998. Descartes, Rene and Elisabeth of Bohemia. The Correspondence Between Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia and Rene Descartes. Edited and translated by Lisa Shapiro. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. de Tocqueville, Alexis. The Ancien Regime and the Revolution. Edited and translated by Gerald Bevan. New York: Penguin Classics, 2008. Galilei, Galileo. Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo. Translated by Stillman Drake. New York: Anchor Books, 1957. Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Edited by Edwin Curley. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994. Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature. Edited by Ernest C. Mossner. New York: Penguin Classics, 1986. Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. Edited and translated by Allen W. Wood. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2018. Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Edited by Peter Laslett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Luther, Martin. Three Treatises: The Annotated Luther Study Edition. Edited by James M. Estes, Erik H. Herrmann, Paul W. Robinson, and Timothy J. Wengert. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Edited by John Leonard. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003. Newton, Isaac. The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Translated by Julia Budenz, I. Bernard Cohen, and Anne Whitman. Oakland: University of California Press, 1999. Pepys, Samuel. The Diaries of Samuel Pepys. Edited by Robert Lathum. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003. Pope, Alexander. The Major Works. Edited by Pat Rogers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Of the Social Contract and Other Political Writings. Edited by Christopher Bertram. Translated by Quintin Hoare. New York: Penguin Classics, 2012. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: The 1818 Text. New York: Penguin Classics, 2018. Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. Edited by Albert J. Rivero. New York: Norton, 2001. Voltaire. Candide. Translated by Henry Morley. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics, 2003. von Clausewitz, Carl. On War. Edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989. von Humboldt, Alexander. Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent. Edited and translated by Jason Wilson. New York: Penguin Classics, 1996. Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Edited by Eileen Hunt Botting. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined June, 2024
New on Outschool
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Philosophy from Northern Illinois University
Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Illinois Wesleyan University
I have a BA in Philosophy with minors in Political Science and Greek and Roman Studies, as well as an MA in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics and Political Philosophy. I’m the head coach of a competitive high school debate team and teach the liberal arts at a classical school. I’m also a professional creative writer and journalist.
I love helping students of all ages understand and interpret difficult subjects and learn how to crystallize their thoughts in writing and oral communication. I believe studying historical primary sources is a wonderful way to facilitate this kind of growth and learning.Reviews
Live Group Course
$25
weekly or $200 for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
50 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
1-18 learners per class
