Tradition vs. Reception as Models for Studying the Great Books

TLDR: The classical reception model is based on a process of reappropriation and redefinition to assert or challenge continuity with a privileged past as mentioned in this paper, which is similar to the classical tradition model.

Abstract: 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.