Pl 430 RU01  The Discourse of Nonviolence  W 6:00-8:50  MNH 139

Instructor: Tom Duggan  Carroll Hall 229 303-458-3512

Email: tduggan@regis.edu

Office Hours: MW 2-3; TR 3:00-4:15; F 2-3 by appointment

Home: 5108 Beach Court, Denver CO 80221  303-477-2131

Texts:

Violence and Its Alternatives, ed. By Steger and Lind

The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace

The Grand Inquisitor, by Dostoevsky, ed. By Guignon

Course Description:

This course proceeds on the assumption that higher education is and ought to be about words, how to read and write words as well as other texts made up of lumps, gestures, paint, sound, pieces of film etc. and what constitutes reading and writing.  The hope is that the student will be able to meet the challenge of the seeming iron necessity of a controlling script (sometimes called Nature, sometimes Law, sometimes Scientific Principle, sometimes God or Eternal Truth, sometimes Fate, sometimes Self, sometimes Culture) and be empowered to take charge of the texts of his/her own life.

In particular, this is a course in the nature of discourse: talk and texts that are taken to reflect, distort, or constitute the world and ourselves.  The discourse of violence—its necessity, legitimacy, usefulness, beauty, nobility—has a long and honored history.  The discourse of non-violence is less honored but has no less long a tradition.  Critical reflection upon and argumentation about the structure, agents, and ground of these discourses offer the possibility of continuing the project of liberal education: the enabling of free person to become more free in the process of contributing to an enlarged society of free beings.

Course Expectations:

1. Familiarity with the assigned material.  This entails a) reading the assignment in its entirety, noting phrases, passages, inferences, and assumptions that are not clearly understood; b) trying to identify the conclusions(s) that the author is arguing for; and c) locating the reasons the author gives for those conclusions; and d) assessing the measure of agreement or disagreement the student has with the arguments.
2. Attendance and participation.  Since philosophy comes about through immersion into a tradition of dialogical conversational practices, actual engagement in these practices in the classroom situation is the best assurance that one is mastering the practice.  Therefore, each student is expected to be present at each class and be prepared and willing to participate in the classroom activities.
3. Outside class writing assignments.  a) 1-2 single spaced (typed) pages of argumentative reflection per class on an issue that either arises from the previous week’s material or arises from the material to be read prior to a given class.  The assignment will be given at the end of class each week.  Most typically, the paper will have the following structure: 1) Pick a provocative sentence from at least two of the readings assignment for the class.  These sentences should share a common theme or problematic that you want to comment on.  Quote the sentences at the top of your paper. 2) Attempt to represent the arguments surrounding these sentences (give conclusions and supporting reasons and illustrate by concrete examples.  3) Give your particular read on this issue, noting what contributions the authors make to the discourse of violence and nonviolence, as well as what difficulties you see in their position. b) a journal of the student’s critical reflections on her/his personal experiences on an assigned issue.  This will take the place of the papers for the final two seeks of the course. c) A final 2 page paper representing the student’s own reasoned position about the central arguments presented in the course.

Grading:

The attendance/participation component (each unexcused absence will result in a one letter grade deduction for this component—four unexcused absences will result in an F for the course) will comprise about one half of the final grade with the outside class writing assignments comprising the other (much weightier) half.  The final writing exercise will count as two outside class writing assignments.  Consideration will be given to significant patterns of progress or regress in the course.  If assignments are to be missed on the assignment date, arrangement must be made in advance with the instructor for completion of the assignment.  Outside class writing assignments will be graded down one score for each day that they are late.

Grading scale: score appearing at top or bottom of paper

6 (A++)  Not only fulfills assignment competently but is exceptionally well written and creatively insightful

5 (A) Fulfills assignment competently and intelligently such that reader can progress through paper smoothly

4 (B) Capable paper with a noticeable flaw either in clarifying major conceptions, supplying supporting evidence and exemplification, making inferences, or in failure to correct mechanical problems that hinder reader's progress through the paper.

3 (C) In the ballpark, but more than one major deficiency.

2 (D) Deficiencies outweigh mastery of material.

1 (F) Seriously flawed. Unacceptable.

Key to margin numbers:

1 good insight, distinction, clarity of definition

2 concept vague, distinction inappropriate, needs further clarification

3 connection with previous thought well made

4 connection not clear

5 concept well applied, supported, exemplified

6 concept not well supported, exemplified

7 good generalization or summary

8 generalization or summary weak or absent or needed

9 spelling and punctuation, misused word problem

10 grammar or sentence structure difficulty

Students with a documented disability should notify the instructor and contact Joie William, Regis’ director of Disability Services, located in Room 118B of the Life Directions Center.  On the basis of her suggestion, appropriate accommodations will be made for those students.

The Writing Center, Loyola 1, is recommended as a valuable resource for organizational, structural, and grammatical difficulties that a student may find with her/his paper.  The personnel there are student friendly and extremely helpful.  Please use this resource rather than relying on a friend or the word processor for advice.

Schedule (subject to change):

Week 1: intro, Platoon; Week 2: SL (Steger and Lind) ch. 1,2,3,  Zinn vii -7; Week 3 SL ch. 4,10,13,14,15; Week 4 Zinn 8-36, Paths of Glory; Week 5 SL ch. 16,17,18,20, Zinn 45-52; Week 6 Zinn 57-82, SL 21; Week 7 SL 22,23,24,25, Dr. Strangelove; Week 8 SL 27,29, Missing; Week 9: SL 5,6,7,8,9, Parenti; Week 10: SL 30,31, Zinn 83-138, Gandhi; Week 11 SL 34, 35; Week 12 Zinn 141-197; Week 13: Dostoevsky The Rebellion, The Russian Monk; Week 14 Summary and conclusions; Week 15 final paper

Drop/Add ends T Jan. 20

Last day to withdraw Mar.20