I want to think this through

I have just found this outline for a course on psychology.

Donna Simmons

Christopherus Homeschool

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7591502343019889743

Whose blog I read and which provokes me to think about how I parent and learn.
(I can't find anything on her blog to say not to copy bits elsewhere. Hope ok)

The main question which we will consider during these weeks is whether the human being is a little higher than the apes or a little lower than the angels – and how where one stands in relation to this question informs one’s thinking about how the human being is or isn’t a being of mind, body and spirit.

We will begin with a quick gallop through the development of Western thinking and consciousness, from the Greeks to modern times – hopefully this will be review for these seniors! We will then look at how men like Freud, BF Skinner and Maslow have developed the field of psychology. We will watch two sections of the film The Century of the Self by Adam Curtis and look at the effect of psychology not just on the marketing of products but of politicians as well. By then turning to child development and the work of Steiner, Piaget and Erik Erikson, we will look at a rather different picture of the human being. To conclude we will consider the meaning of life – the meaning in life – touching on what the class did during their religion main lesson as well as what we’ve considered in this class.

Texts will be varied and include The Human Soul by Karl Konig (the anthroposophical doctor who founded the Camphill Movement) and selections from The Passion of the Western Mind by Richard Tarnas, Walden Two by BF Skinner and Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder, as well as a number of things pulled from the internet and possibly a lecture by Steiner on psychoanalysis.

The students will be required to do all their reading so that our conversations are full. They will also be asked to keep a journal for this class, entering their considered thoughts and questions about the material we cover. There will be a few little essays, some possibly done in class, and one decent sized essay to finish up.