PHIL 385 Seminar on Memoirs

This course explores the memoirs of Marxist and socialist dissenters specifically emphasizing the persecution of religious, social, and economic dissidents in the modern world.

First-person accounts from totalitarian regimes need to be told as part of a literary education. The field of literature has been taken by Marxist theory and criticism. But as critics view stories through the lens of class warfare and oppression, the realities of what it was like under authoritarian and totalitarian governments have been lost. Here, students will read primary source material of what it was like to live under these regimes. These accounts will come from Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, Stalin’s Russia, Castro’s Cuba, and everywhere in between.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the discussions are meant to foster a spirit of community and collegiality. Each thread must demonstrate course-related knowledge whereby the student must include multiple references and correct citations related to the academic material of this course. In addition to the discussion thread, the student will submit 3 replies. Each reply must be substantive based on the topic of the discussion, and the student is expected to respond, interact, critique, and ask questions of his/her peers. For threads and replies, any citations must align with current Turabian formatting.

Video Discussion

This video discussion requires the student to record themselves presenting to their peers based on the research he or she conducted. First, the student will identify the story of an individual who lived under communism in the USSR. Then, the student will tell this story as if he or she were giving a mini presentation for a classroom setting. This presentation must be a 3–4-minute video presentation. The student should identify the individual, explain why he or she is important historically, and then recount his or her experiences under communism.

Philosophical Assessment Assignment

For this assignment, the student will trace one aspect of the philosophical foundations of communism. The student must begin to examine where Marxist thought has come from and where it leads. Understanding the ideas inherent in this philosophical system will provide grounding for what he or she will see later in this course. The student must utilize course material as well as additional sources that will help he or she in writing an 800-word essay. Turabian formatting is required for all citations, but there is no required number of sources that must be present. This essay should begin to trace an aspect of Marxist thought or the ideas of a Marxist philosopher.

Witness Videos: Themes and Synthesis Assignment

Throughout this course, the student will watch dozens of Witness Videos that recount the experiences of those who have lived under communism. Upon completion, the student will analyze what he or she has watched and then thematically and synthetically relay these experiences in an 1,800-word thematic analysis that cites at least two sources in addition to the course texts. 

Ripken Review Assignment

This assignment is essentially a book review followed by a lengthy assessment of the text. The student should first demonstrate that he or she has read the book in its entirety. Then, the student should synthesize what the book says about suffering and relay it to Christians under persecution during totalitarianism and for Christians who might find freedoms restricted in the future. This assignment should be a minimum of 1,300 words and follow current Turabian expectations. 

Memoir Annotation and Assessment Assignment

This assignment should be completed throughout the course as the student engages in reading the assigned memoirs of the experiences of those living under communist totalitarianism. This assignment includes two major parts: annotation and assessment. In the first part, the student will annotate the memoirs he or she has read throughout the course. In the second part, the student will order these books from most valuable to least valuable, and he or she will assess how these memoirs contribute to their understanding of what it is like to live under Marxist totalitarianism. In this second section, the student should synthesize and contrast these experiences and connect the experiences to the ideas seen in Marxist philosophies. This assignment must be at least 1600 words and use current Turabian formatting.

Quiz: Directional Preview

This is a short-answer quiz with two questions. The student will have 1 hour to take this quiz. There is no studying required as this quiz is open book/open notes. The goal of the quiz is to make sure the student knows how to synthesize material relevant for this course. Directions on how to complete this quiz fully will be provided in the body of the quiz. 

Quiz: Professorial Memoir

After reviewing presentations from Liberty faculty who have their own memoirs regarding life in Albania, Romania, and China, the student will assess their stories and compare them with what the student has read and watched in the course thus far. For this quiz, the student will write 1 essay that is at least 600 words and aligns with current Turabian formatting. The quiz will be open-book/open-notes, will consist of 1 essay question, will allow for 1 attempt, and will have a 3-hour time limit.