Course Syllabus
I designed this psychology course and offered its as an elective class for 11th and 12th grade students at Credo High School (2016-2018).
“But where was I to start? The world is so vast, I shall start with the country I know best, my own. But my country is so very large. I had better start with my town. But my town, too, is large. I had best start with my street. No: my home. No: my family. Never mind, I shall start with myself”
– Elie Wiesel, Souls on Fire
A Course Description:
In this course, we will explore the ideas of influential thinkers in psychology that have shaped current narratives of who we are as humans. We will not only ask, how do these psychologists view our humanity, but also engage in dialogue and expand those views with our own.
A major emphasis of class discussions will center on the forces that guide us internally. What drives us? Is our destiny solely predetermined by biology, nationality, family or the culture that we are born into?
Is there such a thing as freedom? At the end of the course, the students will be asked to come to their own understanding of our human nature and the role each individual can play in shaping the future of humanity.
B. Course Objectives –the students will be able to:
-Gain a grasp of the history of modern psychology and dominant theories that influence narratives of our culture.
-Define and discuss core ideas of Behaviorism, Psychoanalysis, Humanistic Psychology, Analytical Psychology, Social Psychology, Gestalt Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Psychopathology.
-Develop awareness of internal forces that guide our actions and cultivate a conscious relationship with them.
C. Course Curriculum, Themes we will explore:
Click the heading to go to each page.
1). Introduction to Psychology
A brief overview and history of psychology (psychology’s roots in philosophy and its transformation into a science –the study of behavior and mental processes).
We will explore the friction within psychology between on the one side, maintaining a continuity of species (between animals and humans), and on the other reaching toward an understanding of the higher mental life.
Key concepts and figures: behavioral science (Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner) and psychoanalysis (Sigmund Freud)
2). What Drives Us?
We will explore internal impulses that guide our actions (from instinctual and physiologically based needs to social and psychological ones and also higher aspirations).
Comparisons are made between guiding principles of behaviorism and humanistic psychology (notion of determinism vs. free will and value-free objectivity vs. subjective choice).
Key concepts and figures-Humanistic psychology: Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and theory of self-actualization and Carl Rogers’ emphasis on individuality and client-centered therapy
We will work on two essays; chapters from “Beyond Freedom and Dignity” by B. F. Skinner and “On Becoming a Person” by Carl Rogers.
3). Construction of Personality
We will explore the ways that internal drives are regulated and guided.
Key concepts and figures: Freud’s personality model (id, ego and superego, pleasure principle and reality principle) and Carl Jung’s analytical psychology (structure of psyche, individuation process and persona)
4). Cognition and Emotion
We will explore the laws that process sensory information and create perceptions as well as primary emotions that are commonly shared as species.
We will also look at the role culture plays in influencing these universal principles.
Key concepts and figures: Gestalt psychology and cultural theory of cognition/primal emotions and cultural theory of emotions
5). Shadow and Projection
We will explore a relationship between consciousness and unconscious and the function of the unconscious to maintain one’s self identity.
Key concepts and figures: Analytical psychology and Jung
6). The Role of Authority
We will explore the effect of authority upon our decision making; what is legitimate authority and when does it become a force of control?
We will also examine the use of deception and manipulation to create transfer of authority and the particular psychological configuration understood as psychopathy that works within the logic of domination and control.
Key concepts and figures: Social psychology (The Milgram experiment, autonomous self and agentic state) and psychopathology (Hervey M. Cleckley and Robert D. Hare)
7). Empathy Erosion
Look at the concept of psychopathy from the point of ‘zero degrees of empathy’ and examine how this absence of empathy teaches us about the capacity for empathy.
Key concepts and figures: The science of evil (Simon Baron-Cohen), Grandiose structure of self (J. Reid Meloy) and Friedrich Nietzsche’s idea of Übermensch (or Superman)
8). The Question of Freedom
Look at empathy as part of innate capacity and how encounters with those who have the condition of zero empathy engages us with the question of freedom.
Key concepts–Psychopathy
9). Conclusion: Who Are We?
Explore the trend toward transhumanism (the idea of melding man with machines) and critically examine its effect on the future of humanity, so to actively participate in envisioning who we are and what we want to become.
Key concepts and figures: Singularity (takeover of Artificial Intelligence), cybergenetics, nanotechnology, Kaku Michio and Nick Bostrom
Note: Some changes may occur based on instructor’s discretion and student needs.
D. Course Expectations:
- Prior to class, please review the required readings to be ready for discussion.
- Participation in class discussion. This will be assessed in terms of attentiveness and/or engagement with key questions.
- You are expected to keep a journal to reflect on some aspects of the discussions and thoughts that emerge. (see Journal Guideline)
E. Journal Guideline
Throughout this course, you are expected to keep a journal. Write at least one full paragraph in length after each class.
Enter the date and the title for the course provided. Ex. Journal 1, December 2, 2016 with the title Introduction to Psychology.
Your journal entry should reflect your internal process engaging with the key questions raised in each class; what you learned, confused or became clear and gain new insights about yourself and others.
F. Required Reading
Selected chapters will be given out and a film will be shown in the class.
Hunt, M. (1993). The story of psychology. New York, NY. DOUBLEDAY.
Rogers, R. C. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist’s view of psychotherapy. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Skinner, B. F. (1971). Beyond freedom and dignity. New York: Knopf.
Wachowski, A. (Writer/Director), & Wachowski, L. (Writer/Director). (1999). The Matrix. [Motion Picture].United States: Warner Brothers