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Creating a 'Great Books' Curriculum From the Core

In spite of the criticisms leveled at the idea of a Great Books curriculum, Joyce M. Greening '72, a veteran of General Education, offers her support of Mansfield's program.

"I have a daughter in college, and I often feel bad that there are so many wonderful things to which she will not be exposed," Greening says.

"I think of all the 19th-century novels she's not going to read, and all the basic works of history and philosophy," Greening adds. "It's kind of a shame."

'Great Books' in the Core Curriculum

Harvard students can take these classes to read some of the "Great Books":

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* Literature and Arts C-14: "The Concept of the Hero in Greek Civilization"

* Literature and Arts B-5: "First Nights: Five Performance Premiers"

* Literature and Arts A-40: "Shakespeare: the Early Plays"

* Historical Studies A-12: "International Conflicts in the Modern World"

* Moral Reasoning 22: "Justice"

* Foreign Cultures 23: "Die Kultur Deutschlands: Bom Kaiserreich bis zur Nazizeit, 1890-1931."

* Science B-16: "The History of Life"

* Social Analysis 52: "The Great Transformation"

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