Sections offered FALL 2021:
#20980 |
NORMAN FURNISS |
MW 1:10-2:25pm |
HU 111 |
CLASS NOTES: Satisfaction of the English composition requirement; COLL Intensive Writing section; IUB GenEd S&H credit; COLL (CASE) S&H Breadth of Inquiry credit
Above class meets In Person. For more information visit https://covid.iu.edu/learning-modes/index.html
All of us face immense challenges to our normal ways of living and to our normal ways of thinking. COVID-19 and the turmoil surrounding the recent American Presidential Election have highlighted our concerns. The aim of the first, in class, part of this seminar is to use the ideas of liberty and equality to help us understand the nature of our challenges as they play out concretely in our lives as members of society and as citizens of the United States. In the second, post November 20th part of the seminar, we expand our focus even more broadly. As citizens of the world, how might our perspectives of liberty and equality contribute to the (partial of course) solutions to the global problems of climate change or to the rise of anti-democratic “populist” politics?
There will be a variety of course materials—classic texts, court cases, news articles, works of fiction, “TED talks.” Together they will be brief enough to allow us to engage with arguments, not just to absorb information. For the main part of the course, written assignments will center on a series of short essays based on class readings, discussions and your own life experiences; additional “research” is not necessary and rarely useful. There also will be an examination. After the in-person class ends, each seminar member will write a position paper on climate change or on anti-democratic populism. Again, this paper should be grounded in the ideas of the seminar.
I would be pleased to discuss readings, assignments, approaches. My email is furniss@indiana.edu, office Woodburn Hall, room 405.