Critical Thinking for Violent Times
- You are aware of the news of war, mayhem, and terror on a daily basis, but much of it leaves you feeling confused and overwhelmed.
- You see people on both conventional and social media arguing passionately for one side or another in a conflict, but you aren’t sure how to make up your own mind.
- You don’t want to blindly trust news anchors and politicians, but it is impossible for you to carefully examine everything they say.
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Course Description
“Critical Thinking for Violent Times” is a six-week online course consisting of twelve 75-minute sessions (15 contact-hours). In addition, you will receive reading materials (articles and book chapters) as well as handouts and meeting transcripts.
When and Where
We will meet twice weekly on Zoom, alternating between training sessions on Sundays and Q&A/discussions on Wednesdays. All meetings will begin at 6:00 PM, Central Daylight Time. [Convert to local time]
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to
- analyze an argument into its component parts;
- explain the importance of clarity, precision, and consistency when dealing with contested terms;
- compare the standard definition of “violence” with three alternative definitions;
- identify the principal types of violence and their mutual relationship;
- recognize the psychological processes that make violence appear acceptable or necessary;
- compare the various standard and alternative definitions of “terrorism”;
- identify the principal types of terrorism and their mutual relationship; and
- define and explain the concepts of “peace” and “nonviolence.”
Course Schedule
Unit I: Ethics of Learning
Training: Sunday, June 16
Discussion: Wednesday, June 19
- What does it mean to learn something?
- What values, intentions, and attitudes are most conducive to learning?
- How can we keep an open mind when discussing controversial topics?
- What is a definition? When do we need to define our terms?
- How can we distinguish a good definition from a bad definition?
Unit II: Defining Violence
Training: Sunday, June 23
Discussion: Wednesday, June 26
- How is the word “violence” typically understood?
- What are some important alternative definitions of “violence”?
- What are the pros and cons of these definitions?
- What are the principal types of violence?
- How are different types of violence related to each other?
Unit III: How Do They Sleep at Night?
Training: Sunday, June 30
Discussion: Wednesday, July 3
- How do people commit violence without feeling guilt or dissonance?
- What is culture and where does it come from?
- How does culture influence individuals’ behavior?
- What allows us to violate our own moral standards?
- What are the main psychological mechanisms that help justify violence?
Unit IV: Just War and Terrorism (Part 1)
Training: Sunday, July 7
Discussion: Wednesday, July 10
- What is the difference between a Just War and an Unjust War?
- What is the International Humanitarian Law and why is it relevant?
- What does the charter of the United Nations say about the legality of war?
- What is the standard definition of terrorism?
- What are some of the alternative definitions of terrorism?
Unit V: Just War and Terrorism (Part 2)
Training: Sunday, July 14
Discussion: Wednesday, July 17
- How do states and subnational groups justify their violent acts?
- Why is it so hard to distinguish Just War and terrorism on moral grounds?
- Why are some forms of violence acceptable while others are not?
- What is the difference between contraries and contradictories?
- How can we avoid binarism and loaded dichotomies?
Unit VI: Peace and Nonviolence
Training: Sunday, July 21
Discussion: Wednesday, July 24
- What is the standard definition of peace?
- What are some of the important alternative definitions of peace?
- How do we define the word “nonviolence”?
- What is the difference between pacifism and nonviolence?
- Is nonviolence compatible with the use of force?
Get a $100 discount if you register by May 20. Use the code EARLY100 at checkout.