COLLEGE SEMINARS: THE COURAGE TO BE

 

While we tend to value courage—Hannah Arendt even called it the highest political virtue—historically the concept has veered from the noble to the dangerous. From Antigone to suicide bombers, courage has been construed as heroic and/or dangerously solipsistic. This series of seminars asks the question: What is the practice of courageous action in the 21st century? Courses are open to Sophomores and Juniors and are limited to 16 students. Students are required to attend three evening lectures on Mondays from 6-8. There will also be dinner discussions with guest speakers and students from other sections of the College Seminar.

 

19372

PS 240

 The Courage to Judge

Samantha Hill

M  W      3:10-4:30 pm

OLIN 203

MBV

HUM

If we are in a world, as many fear, where truth no longer matters and cultural criticism is dictated by Internet mobs, how are we to judge?

With the phenomenal appearance of totalitarianism in the middle of the 20th century, Hannah Arendt famously argued that the traditional moral categories of good and bad have lost their relevance. The inability to discern fact from fiction, and make critical judgments paves the ground for the emergence of fascist propaganda and rhetoric. So, how do we preserve and nurture our ability to make judgments? This course will examine the political concept of judgment and the way it has evolved within the western tradition of political theory. Primarily examining the works of Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Hannah Arendt, and Theodor Adorno we will ask: What does it mean to judge in the world today?  This course is a part of the Courage to Be program.  Class size: 22

 

19544

PS 275

 (Super) heroic politics

Elizabeth Barringer

  T  Th   4:40  – 6:00 pm

 OLIN 202

SA

SSCI

Heroes have been a constant feature of Western culture stretching back to classical times. Yet their role in political orders is complex, varied, and dynamic—and frequently not aligned with the common good, or with democratic conceptions of politics. Our task in this course is to look at recent superhero movies as a continuation of this long tradition of heroic politics and to critically examine their potential for (or against) democratic practices: what kinds of political relationships do these stories imagine or support? Do superheroes function as good ethical and political role models that empower audiences? Or are they disempowering, teaching audiences to trust in the strengths of exceptional individuals (or exceptional states) instead of their own capacities? Can these stories teach us to be better citizens or are heroic narratives dangerous? To address these questions, this class will consider a selection of recent super-hero films alongside works of political theory, analyzing questions of democratic agency, courage, and state power. Among others, we will read works by Arendt, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Schmitt, and Plato; films such as Wonder Woman, Black Panther, and The Avengers will also be assigned. This course is part of the Courage to Be Seminar Series and students will be required to attend 3 Monday evening lectures associated with the series.  Class size: 20

 

19498

REL 232

 Introduction to Christianity in Revolutions

Bruce Chilton

  W  F     11:50-1:10 pm

OLIN 307

MBV

HUM

Christianity has both promoted and resisted revolutions during the course of its history. The aim of this course is to understand why and how that process has unfolded. The method of the seminar is to understand how Christianity developed through systemic changes, and to read selected authors against the background of that evolution. This course is part of the Courage To Be College Seminar Series; students are required to attend three lectures in the in Courage to Be Lecture Series sponsored by the Hannah Arendt Center.  Class size: 16

 

19274

SOC 347

 theorizing facebook: Morality, Technology, and Social Networks

Laura Ford

M           4:40-7:00 pm

OLIN 201

SA

SSCI

Cross-listed: Experimental Humanities; Science, Technology, Society  In this course we will seek to understand social media, as social and moral phenomena.  Each week we will “theorize” social media from a different perspective, seeking new sociological insights into social media-related “spaces,” and into the ways that morality, ethics, and politics are enacted within such spaces.  After initially situating one technological platform for social media (Facebook) in its historical and legal context, we will expand our inquiry and seek answers to the following types of questions.  What are social networks, and how do they work?  How do the technical controls (e.g. friend suggestions) and institutional frameworks (e.g. corporate business models and intellectual property laws) of social media impact qualities and characteristics of social interaction?  How might this matter for social movements relying on social media?  Do social relationships and communities work differently, when they are formed through social media?  How might we affect normative orders of truth-telling and justice in the ways that we use (or don’t use) social media?  Note: This course is part of the Courage to Be College Seminar, affiliated with the Hannah Arendt Center.  Students will be required to attend three evening lectures.  There will also be dinner discussions with guest speakers and other sections of the College Seminar.  For more information: http://hac.bard.edu/ctb/   Class size: 20