Index: Experimental Philsophy strives to bring physically demanding and intellectually stimulating classics lessons to high school students to help immerse and interest them in classical texts.

The basic structure of an experimental Philosophy lesson is as follows:

• A reading or set of readings that should take about ~1 hour for a 10th grade reader.

• A boffer combat scenario related to the readings.

  • Boffers are padded weapons meant to simulate swords, spears shields and other such pre gunpowder weapons. See more about boffers at wikipedia Experimental Philosophy boffers are constructed to Hearthlight standards.

• A group seminar on the reading.

  
  

Instructors

	Mr. Asija founded Experimental Philosophy during his first semester in the St. John’s College Graduate Institute in Annapolis. John Paul currently lives in CT and attends St.Marry's Parish in Norwalk. John Paul plans to return to St. John’s college in 2024 to finish the graduate program remotely after taking a break to start a family in 2020. You can learn more about him at JohnAsija.com
	Mr. Proctor is a recent graduate from St. John’s College Annapolis and now works in logistics while applying to graduate programs in U.S. History. Francis was an early participant in the original experimental philosophy at St. John’s college and continues to contribute to lesson design as Experimental Philosophy enters its next phase. You can view his CV on LinkedIn.

Sample lesson

Authors note:

This lesson is designed for 9th and 10th graders attending a classical school who have read the Iliad before. This lesson’s objectives are as follows.

1. Students gain an appreciation for the physical intensity of Achilles rage.
2. Students consider the nobility or ignobility of deaths on the battlefield in the Iliad
3. Students appreciate that physically lashing out when angry is a poor method for handling anger.

The Second Rage of Achilles Lesson Plan

Introduction:

We are going to read an excerpt from books 20 and 21 of the Iliad.

You will remember that just prior to the events we are about to read that Patroclus the companion of Achilles was slain by Hector. This brings an end to the first rage of Achilles, his rage at Agamemnon for the theft of Briseis which caused Achilles to withdraw from battle, and begins the second.

Now with Patroclus slain Achilles has made peace with Agamemon and has rejoined the war intent upon slaying Hector in revenge for Hector having slain Patroclus

Achilles finds Hector on the battlefield and begins to fight him but before Achilles can claim victory Apollo intervenes to protect Hector. This is where we pick up in book 20

Reading:

Book 20 reading at: https://www.theoi.com/Text/HomerIliad20.html [455] - [490]

Book 21 reading at: https://www.theoi.com/Text/HomerIliad21.html [200-272], [526-590]

Game:

1 player is designated as Achilles and is given a short sword, spear, and shield.

The remaining students are designated as “Trojans” and given only shields

Goal of the game for Achilles : Eliminate all opposing players as quickly as possible

Goal of the game for Trojans: Don’t get eliminated for as long as possible.

The player who eliminates all the others the fastest receives a prize.

The player who lives the longest receives a prize.

A player is eliminated when struck by the weapon in any area other than the head

Head shots are strictly prohibited and a player will have 5 seconds added to their time for every head shot they deliver to another player.

An area of appropriate size is set aside as the “in play area”

Those who leave the in play area are considered to have been eliminated by the Achilles

When the game is started:

1. A timer is started and The Achilles must attempt to eliminate all the Trojans as fast as possible.
2. The round continues until all Trojans are eliminated.
3. When the round is over a new Achilles is selected and the game is repeated
4. No player can serve as Achilles more than once
5. All players who want a chance to be Achilles will be given this chance.
6. The order in which players become the Achilles will be random.

Post Game Discussion Questions:

• Who won, why?
• What would Homer consider to be a good death?
  • Do we see in the reading any Trojans we might pick out as suffering a death particularly well or particularly poorly?
• Did any of our Tojans suffer their inevitable loss particularly well or particularly poorly?
• Do the best tactics result in the best deaths?
• What would we as modern people consider to be a good death?
  • How is our conception similar and different from Homer’s conception?
• Do any of Achilles actions soothe his Rage?
• As modern people how are we meant to soothe our rage?

Activity notes:

Ideally the students will realize that the best way to survive longer is to work together and not to attempt to flee and then fight individually as the Trojans in the reading do.

Please check that all participants are wearing appropriate clothing and shoes for the physical activity.

Students will get thirsty during the physical activity, make sure an adequate water supply is available.