Understanding Human Evil
Fall 2007
“Indi= fference, to me, is the epitome of evil.”
Wiesel
Instructor: Dr. Williams
Office: Daniel 208
Office Phone: 597-4907
Email: WilliamsNM@wofford.edu
Office Hours: Monday: 2:00-3:50; Tuesday: 4:00-5:00; Thursday: 4:00-5:00
Class Time/Location: MWF 11:30-12:20/Main Building 124=
Course Descri=
ption
This course will focus on the problem of collective hu= man evil: atrocities willfully committed or condoned by large groups or societi= es. We begin with an examination of some philosophical definitions of evil. Then we consider psychological analyses of social obedience and how they may explain why ordinary humans commit extraordinary evil. Historical and literary acco= unts of genocide in Rwanda, Nazi Germany, and the Americas are covered as well a= s a serious discussion on how the current treatment of nonhuman animals compare= s to the violence humans have wrought against other humans. Finally, so we do not leave the course depressed about humanity, we will explore the different wa= ys in which we can create and foster a caring social world.
Required text=
s/readings
●Obedien= ce to Authority, Stanley Milgram (2004)
●We wish= to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families, Philip Gourevitch (1998)
●Night, Elie Wiesel (2006)
●The Dre= aded Comparison, Marjorie Spiegel (1996)
●Toward =
a Caring
Society,
●Readings on Wofford’s library e-reserve (E-Reserve)
Learning Outc= omes
By the end of the semester, students are expected to:<= /p>
●intelligently explain and critically examine the problem of large-scale human evil;
●develop their reading comprehension and writing= skills;
●improve their presentation skills;
●integrate key concepts with factual evidence.
Methods of Ev=
aluation
●Readin= g Presentations: every student will give TWO presentations on assigned readings. Presentatio= ns should not exceed 15 minutes. In your presentation, you must: (1) summarize= the main points; (2) specify one point that made you think and explain your thoughts on it; and (3) provide two discussion questions for the class. All presentations need to be typed, double-spaced, 12 point font with standard margins, and 1-2 pages. No exceptions. You may not read your presentations. They will be graded on clarity, style, organization, creativity, and the quality of the discussion questions. Please provide copies of your presenta= tion for your classmates.
●Papers= : students are required to write five papers for this class. Each paper should be betw= een 4-5 pages. The first two papers are explanatory in that they will identify = and explain the main points of the books. The third and fourth papers require s= tudents to describe salient features of the books and integrate them with ke= y philosophical concepts about human evil. The final paper will evaluate students’ ability to apply what they have learned about building caring institutions = to their personal experiences. Outlines are required for some papers and I will allow revisions on two of them.
Distribution =
of
Graded Work
●Presentations: 20%
●Paper 1 =3D 10% (explanatory)
●Paper 2 =3D 10% (explanatory)
●Paper 3 =3D 20% (explanatory and analysis/oppor= tunities for revision)
●Paper 4 =3D 20% (explanatory and analysis/oppor= tunities for revision)
●Paper 5 =3D 20% (analysis and narrative)
Grading Scale* (percentage): A =3D100-94; A- = =3D 93-90; B+ =3D 89-87; B =3D86-84; B- =3D83-80; C+ =3D 79-77; C =3D76-74; C- =3D73-7= 0; D =3D69-60; F =3Dbelow 60
*Grades in this course are based on academic achieveme= nt and competence.
All work is due at the beginning of class. For = every hour an assignment is late, one letter grade will be deducted. If you know = in advance that you will not be attending class when a paper is due, you must = see me as soon as possible so that we can make necessary arrangements. If I don’t hear from you by the next class period you will have forfeited = the paper grade. Extra credit work will not be given.
Attendance is required in this class. You are allowed = four absences with no grade reduction, thereafter one point off your final grade= for every absence. I will record attendance at every class meeting. You are required to arrive at class on time and remain for the entire period in ord= er to be counted as present.
Academic dishonesty will be handed in accordance to Wofford’s honor code, which can be found at http://www.wofford.edu/studentlife/honor_code.pdf
If you have a disability that requires my attention pl= ease let me know as soon as possible so that I may accommodate you.
Week 1 –=
; Sept.
3-7
M – Introduction
W =
211; James
Waller, “
F- Claudia Card, “The Atrocity Paradigm” (= E-Reserve)
Week 2 –=
; Sept.
10-14
M- “The Atrocity Paradigm”
W- Stanley Milgram, Obedience to Authority̵= 2;chapters 1 and 2
F- Chapters 3 and 4
Week 3 –=
; Sept.
17-21
M – Chapters 5 and 6
W – Chapters 9 and 10
F – Chapters 12, 13 and 15
Week 4 –=
; Sept.
24-28
M – Video:
Milgram’s experiment (45 min)=
W– Pape= r 1 due
F- Philip Gourevitch, We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with o= ur families—chapters 1, 2, and 3
Week 5 –=
; Oct.
1-5
M&#= 8211; Chapters 4 and 5
W – Chapters 6 and 7
F – Class canceled; read chapters 8 and 9
Week 6 –= ; Oct. 8-12
M – Chapters 10 and 11
W – Video: Ghosts of
F- Paper 2 du= e
Week 7 –=
; Oct.
15-19
M- Elie Wiesel, Night—pp. 3-28
W- Video: Memory of the Camps (60 min), Night p= p. 29-46
F- Night pp. 47-65
Week 8– Oct. 22-26
M- = Night pp. 66-115 (Midterm grades)
W- = Ervin Staub, “The origins of genocide and mass killing: core concepts” (E-Reserve)
F-Fall Break
Week 9 –=
; Oct.
29-Nov. 2
M- Catch-up day
W- Paper 3 du= e
F- Ward Churchill, “‘Nits Make Lice,’= ; The Extermination of North American Indians, 1607-1996” ---pp. 129-140 (E-Reserve)
Week 10 ̵=
1; Nov.
5-9
M- Churchill, pp. 143-157
W- Churchill, pp. 178-188
F- Waller, “Social Construction of Cruelty” (E-Reserve)
Week 11 ̵=
1; Nov.
12-16
M- Waller
W- Marjorie Spiegel, The Dreaded Comparison, pp. 15-45
F- Spiegel, pp. 45-72
Week 12 ̵=
1; Nov.
19-23
M- Spiegel, pp. 73-107
W-No class
F- No cla=
ss
Week 13 ̵=
1; Nov.
26-30
M- Charles Patterson, “Without the Homage of a Tear” (E-Reserve)
W-Paper 4 due=
F-Pearl and Samuel Oliner, Toward a Caring Society---chapters 1 and 3
Week 14 ̵=
1; Dec.
3-7
M- Chapte= rs 4 and 5
W- Chapters 6 and 8
F- Chapters 9 and 10
Final Exam: P=
aper 5
due
*Subject to change
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