Tradition vs. Reception as Models for Studying the Great Books

Great Books core curriculum courses play a role in defining the relationship between past and present for undergraduate students. Two competing approaches to constructing this relationship are described, namely classical tradition and classical reception. The classical tradition model is based on the idea of Greco-Roman influence on Western civilization. The classical reception model is based on a process of reappropriation and redefinition to assert or challenge continuity with a privileged past. Examples including Vergil's Aeneid, Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, and Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red demonstrate how teachers can implement a classical reception approach in the classical civilization classroom.