Which Books Get To Be In ‘The Canon’ And Why?

summer reading
summer reading

Which Books Get To Be In ‘The Canon’ And Why?

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Summer reading lists for high school students and syllabi for survey courses in literature and philosophy often feature many of the same books, authors and thinkers. Morning Shift explores the story of how books end up in what’s known as “the canon” with Peter Steeves, professor of philosophy and director of the Humanities Center at DePaul University. Steeves says that while reading the classics in philosophy and literature is great, the canon is fundamentally flawed. We hear why, talk to Steeves about the handful of books he likes to recommend to students and take calls from listeners about the one book that had the most profound effect on their lives.