printer friendly pagePOLISCI 237: Varieties of Conservatism in America
This seminar explores the conservative movement in America and its principal strands. It begins with an introduction to the modern tradition of freedom and America's founding principles since the understanding of conservatism - in the United States as elsewhere - requires some acquaintance with that which conservatives seek to conserve. The introduction includes study of Marx's classic critique of liberal democracy because the understanding of conservativism also requires an appreciation of the leading alternative. The seminar then turns to developments in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when a self-consciously conservative movement in the United States first emerged as a national force and concludes with an examination of the leading debates among conservatives today. The seminar meets once a week. It revolves around careful reading of assigned texts, robust discussion of the materials, and analysis from a variety of perspectives. Students will be required to submit one-page ungraded reflections in advance of each class, and a substantial final paper at the conclusion of the course.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
Instructors:
Berkowitz, P. (PI)
POLISCI 237R: How to Think About Catastrophe Toward a Theory of Enlightened Doomsaying (COMPLIT 376, FRENCH 367, POLISCI 337R)
Once attributed to the wrath of the gods, disasters are now understood as punishments that man would inflict on himself: in the Anthropocene era, even Nature has ceased to be independent of human action. We know today that there are two ways, intimately related, for humankind to annihilate itself: the direct way, through unlimited violence, weapons of mass destruction, internecine war at the planetary level; the indirect way, through the destruction of the conditions that are necessary for the survival of the species. This seminar will explore the following menaces: nuclear war, climate change, gene editing, synthetic biology, advanced artificial intelligence. Among the philosophemes that will be summoned: the post-Heideggerian critique of technoscience (Hannah Arendt and Günther Anders), Hans Jonas' Ethics of the Future, the notion of existential risk and the instructor's concept of "Enlightened Doomsaying." Appeal to literary works and films will be integral part of the program. By a
more »
Once attributed to the wrath of the gods, disasters are now understood as punishments that man would inflict on himself: in the Anthropocene era, even Nature has ceased to be independent of human action. We know today that there are two ways, intimately related, for humankind to annihilate itself: the direct way, through unlimited violence, weapons of mass destruction, internecine war at the planetary level; the indirect way, through the destruction of the conditions that are necessary for the survival of the species. This seminar will explore the following menaces: nuclear war, climate change, gene editing, synthetic biology, advanced artificial intelligence. Among the philosophemes that will be summoned: the post-Heideggerian critique of technoscience (Hannah Arendt and Günther Anders), Hans Jonas' Ethics of the Future, the notion of existential risk and the instructor's concept of "Enlightened Doomsaying." Appeal to literary works and films will be integral part of the program. By and large, this research seminar will strive to exemplify what the humanities in the broader sense of the word can bring to the discussion of the existential threats that stand in the way of humankind's progression. Too often, this discussion is limited to the technological dimension of the problems at hand. The humanities are not and shouldn't be the enemy of technology. However, the conversation between them remains a challenge that this course will strive to take up.
Filter Results: