TOPICS OFFERED FOR SUMMER 2009
Please note that the books listed for each course are
only possible candidates.
Do not buy any until the pre-meeting and a decision on the common reading is
made.
Classes
start May 1st and end
August 28th
1. (AES) AESCHYLUS: THE COMPLETE
GREEK TRAGEDIES
Aeschyluss last
seven tragedies include the trilogy of the Oresteia, (murder and mayhem in the house of Atreus), and
four other plays: Suppliant Women
(maidens on the run), Persians
(the chaos of war seen through enemy eyes), Prometheus Bound (life pinned to a rock with an eagle sampling your
liver), and the Seven Against Thebes
(fratricidal strife ruins sisters chance of happiness). We will discuss these
plays, read some scenes, and explore the myths behind the plays.
Common Reading: Aeschylus II, Vol. 2, edited by David Grene and Richmond Lattimore (University of Chicago Press, Feb 1992; $12.00)
2. (ART) WHEN
ART WAS GOLDEN - DUTCH
PAINTERS OF THE 17TH
CENTURY
Italian art may have dominated the 16th century, but it was
the Dutch golden age of art" that marked the 17th century. In an era of global exploration and
trade expansion, the Dutch led the world in commerce. With a growing bourgeois society, the combination of
political enlightenment and national prosperity converged to foster a flowering
of artistic creation. From
Rembrandt to Breughel, from Franz Hals to Bosch, a variety of distinct national
styles of painting emerged.
Artists focused on innovative urban scenes, pastoral landscapes,
domestic daily life (sometimes ribald), and -- unique to Dutch culture -- group
portraits of business, political and military leaders. Course presentations may focus on
individual artists, painting styles and subjects, daily life in 17th century
Netherlands, and the changing Dutch social structure underlying this golden
age.
Possible Common Reading:
When Art Was Golden,
by Judith Bell (World and I, pubs., 2000)
A Worldly Art: the Dutch Republic, 1585-1718, by Mariet Westermann (paperback, 2005)
3. (BIB) THE BIBLE: A
BIOGRAPHY
The Bible is the
worlds most widely distributed book and the spiritual guide for one out of
every three people in the world. Yet in an age of declining faith and rising
fundamentalism, it is also an easily misunderstood and abused book.
We will explore many
questions related to this:
>
Who wrote the Bible?
>
When, why, and for whom was it written?
>
How did the various writings become scripture for
Christians and Jews?
>
Is it still relevant for us today?
This course will explore the Bibles complex history and show the impact of more than two thousand years on its development, translation, and widely divergent interpretations. Karen Armstrong is one of todays best known and acclaimed religious writers. We will join her engaging historical tour of the Bibles manifold meanings to Christians, Jews, and other religious traditions.
For those wishing a more in-depth bible study they will want to follow Dr. Friedman, the author of our supplemental reading, to use his appendix and take some downloaded Bible text and a fist full of different colored highlighters and code the text in the different narrative voices. And so we will want to read the Bible, both as spiritual and literary text, in a whole new way, since the originally compound confusing Biblical texts will have been deconstructed and made clear by reading each narrative voice separately. Not only does Dr. Friedman tell us how to decode the Bible, but he also explains the historical context for each narrative voice - the motivations for their approach - and ideas about how, why, and by whom, the different voices were so artfully assembled into the Bible we know today. Our understanding of the Bible will never be the same.
The course will be interactive, with participants sharing their own ideas, experiences, and understandings.
Common Reading: The Bible, by Karen Armstrong (Grove Press, 2008; $13.00)
Supplemental Reading: Who Wrote the Bible, by Richard E. Friedman
(paperback,
May 1997; $10.85 AMZN)
4. (BES) The Best
Science Essays, 2008
Heres the latest –and from many reviews, the best--
of a popular Omnilore repeat series. Not much hard science, but every essay
thats culled from an array of periodicals is compelling, fun to read, will
expand the readers horizons. The
stellar 2008 issue contains 24 provocative and often visionary short essays
about subjects as diverse as the century of biology, the coming robot army, forensics:TV
vs. reality, spooky action at a distance, dark matter, wind energy, swingers
(mating habits of bonobos), nanotechnology, malaria, the selfless gene. Short presentations will focus on the
author-- occasionally on the general subject—and interesting discussions.
Common Reading: The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008, edited by
Jerome Groopman & Tim Folger (Paperback, Oct, 2008; 352 pp $10)
5. (DEC) GREAT DECISIONS - 2009
The Foreign Policy
Association (FPA) has declared what it believes are the great decisions the
US is to make during 2009— as it has done annually for over 50
years. It encourages Americans to
consider and discuss these world issues.
In addition to the annual briefing book Great Decisions — 2009, the FPA now publishes a DVD that presents background
information on the issues from subject matter specialists. The 2009 issues are: U.S. and rising powers, Afghanistan/Pakistan, Energy & the global economy, The Arctic, Egypt in the 21st Century, Global food supply, Cuba after Castro, and Universal human rights.
In the study/discussion
group, each issue will be introduced by watching the FPAs DVD presentation to
set-up the discussion sessions which will be structured using the briefing
book. Additional resource material
suggested by the FPA will be available on reserve in the library. We will consider the U.S. position
— and we each develop our own position — on these world issues.
Common Reading: Great
Decisions – 2009 will be available from the FPA
FPA Website:
http://www.fpa.org/pubs_inventory2416/pubs_inventory_show.htm?doc_id=707956
6. (DGM) THE DEVILS GAME: HOW THE UNITED
STATES HELPED
UNLEASH FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAM
The
enemy of my enemy is my friend is considered unsophisticated, tribal
thinking. But our author Robert
Dreyfus shows how, during the Cold War, precisely this principle led the United
States to support anti-Communist Islamist movements throughout the Muslim world
– nurturing much of the terrorist whirlwind threat we are reaping today. Learn of the untold stories of
Eisenhowers meetings with a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the United
States secret alliance with that group and their Saudi patrons against Egypts
President Nasser, the funding of Iranian ayatollas in establishing the Shah of
Iran. Learn how Israel helped
create Hamas to weaken the PLO and of our support for Saudi Arabias efforts to
create a worldwide Islamic bloc as an antidote to Arab nationalism. The devils game continues today as our
foreign politics for access to Middle Eastern oil and our Iraq
nation-building continues to back – as well as inflame - radical
Islamists, allied with Irans clerics, to save our policy of preemptive regime
change towards democracy.
Our
author chronicles the history of right wing militant Islamist movements, the
rise of Arab nationalism, the decision to contain communism on Russias
southern border, the rise of economic Islam and the story of Osama Bin Laden
and Al Qaeda. In the introduction our author asks Can we defeat Al Qaeda? His
blunt answer: not with our current War on Terrorism. He thinks the Al Quada
threat is a manageable one. The larger problem of dealing effectively with the
growing strength of Islamic fundamentalism (in the Middle East and Asia) is far
more complicated and will require us to pursue a less interventionist foreign
policy. This vital history and the authors controversial prescriptions for a
more just foreign offer many topics for personal research and for much spirited
discussion.
Common Reading: The
Devils Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam, by Robert Dreyfus
(Metropolitan Books; 1st edition. October 13, 2005; Amazon
$10.97)
7. (DOC) THE RISE OF THE DOCUMENTARY MOVIE
Not long ago, if you wanted to see a documentary film, you
probably had to take a course, go to a movie festival, or catch it on PBS. But the commercial success of recent
documentaries has changed all that...nowadays you may have to stand in line to
get a ticket to such popular "docs" as March of the Penguins,
Bowling for Columbine, Supersize Me, etc. While
your basic Hollywood studio movie is primarily made to make money, a
documentary is the expression of its creator's personal passion. This S/DG will explore the world of
modern masters of the documentary.
Presenters will choose a film that class members can view at home before
each class session, and discuss the director's purpose, the film's techniques,
and its effect on public opinion.
Documentary films are available at public libraries, and via Netflix,
which stocks over 300 such films in 28 different genres, ranging from
biographies (Marlon Brando) to history ( the Alamo), travel/adventure, and --
most fascinating -- Miscellaneous.
No Common Reading.
8. (DSC) DESCENT INTO CHAOS (U.S. POLICY IN AFGHANISTAN AND
PAKISTAN)
Chaos is what awaits our new administration in Central
Asia. This course will look at the
history of U. S. involvement in this part of the world since September 11,
2001. Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
the United States are the principals, but the S/DG will look at parts played by
India, Uzbekistan, the United Nations, and others. Presentations can cover topics such as heroin production,
Pakistani politics, biographies of the important players, the role of Iran and
countless other possibilities.
Common Reading: Descent
into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan,
Afghanistan, and Central Asia, by Ahmad
Rashid (Viking Press, 2008, 544
pp; Amazon Price: $17.61)
9. (EST) ESTATE PLANNING
Through presentation and
discussion, current issues and status of estate planning will be covered:
rules governing estate administration, planning options, tax considerations,
trusts, wills, and charitable giving strategies (and much more) are potential
presentation topics.
Common
Reading: AARP Crash Course in Estate
Planning, Updated Edition: The Essential Guide to Wills, Trusts, and Your
Personal Legacy, by Michael T. Palermo (Ric Edelman - Foreword) (AARP,
paperback, 2008; Amazon $10.17)
10. (GDN) THE SCIENCE AND REWARDS OF
VEGETABLE GARDENING
In food and health circles, much is being said about the value of eating whole foods. Food journalist, Michael Pollan recommends that you Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants. Concerned about threatened supplies of fossil fuels and the nutritional impact of processed foods, scores of people are returning to the soil to grow their own vegetables in backyards, edible landscaping or containers on their patio. They are rediscovering the joy and the sense of well-being and connection with nature that comes from putting their hands in the dirt. They are savoring the magic that comes from taking a bite out of that first summer tomato still warm from the sun.
This SDG will take a look at the science and the art of growing vegetables. We will read the wonderful book by Barbara Kingslover, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, where she recounts her familys personal experience of trying to eat for one year only the food that they were able to grow or raise. Interspersed with their experience is factual information regarding the politics and industry around food. We will have a second book, an excellent reference book on growing vegetables, as our guide to our scientific exploration of the horticulture involved in gardening. Members will research and make presentations on such topics as how to create fertile soil, recognize good bugs vs. bad bugs, provide water efficiently, compost, start seedlings and propagate plants. We will discuss the nutritional value of home and organically grown vs. processed store-bought produce. The class may choose to incorporate field trips to nurseries or local gardens. The summer trimester is perfect timing to focus on this learning experience for those who are gardeners or those who would like to try to their hand, for the first time, to plant a few items in patio containers.
If you are already an avid gardener, a beginning gardener, a wanna-be gardener or just interested in the intellectual pursuit of the topic, this class is for you!
Common Readings: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver, Amazon.com $10.17
Grow Vegetables, by Alan Buckingham, Amazon.com $13.57
11. (HTH) BUILDING
A BETTER HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: THE EVOLUTION
OF
HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES
Everyone agrees that there are deficiencies in the
provision of health care in the United States. The systems are too expensive,
they do not provide care for large segments of the population, and the quality
of care may not be as good as it should be. In this year of elections, there
will be many suggestions as to how to improve the systems, but few truly
understand the complexity of health care or the history that brought us to this
point.
Ours like most national healthcare systems are a result of
World War II. Roosevelt imposed national wage controls to prevent
inflationary increases in labor costs. Employers could, however, offer
commercial health insurance which spurred our distinctive reliance on private
insurance obtained through one's place of employment. Healthcare systems
should evolve rather than undergo radical change such as into a single payer
system or a completely private system. A case in point was our change to
the new prescription drug benefit program where 1,429 different plans were
offered to millions of elderly people with cognitive difficulties, chronic
illness, or limited English which resulted in chaos. Consequently,
understanding how we came to our present health system is essential in
evaluating any new proposals.
Common
Reading: The Social Transformation of American Medicine, by Paul Starr
(Basic
Books, 1984)
12. (IMP) PHYSICS OF THE
IMPOSSIBLE
To a person in the
19th Century, space flight and commercial jets, television, the Internet,
robotic surgery and cloning were in the realm of fantasy and science
fiction. Renowned physicist, Michio Kaku, a University of New York
professor, argues that, given the remarkable advances in science in the past
century, the impossible is relative. Kaku speaks to science and science
fiction buffs alike and makes a reasonable case for the eventual development of
technology which exists today only in the realm of fictional imagining.
Chapter by chapter, Kaku uses seemingly fantastic ideas, such as teleportation,
to elucidate the science behind bringing the concept into reality.
History and humor and examples from Plato to Woody Allen make Kaku a pleasure
to read. His core book will expand our minds as we are tantalized and
entertained. Each topic should lead to abundant discussion and
speculation. This is his latest effort to popularize the sciences.
Possible
presentation topics: Force fields, Invisibility, Phasers and Death Stars,
Teleportation, Telepathy, Psychokinesis, Robots, Extraterrestrials and UFOs,
Starships, Antimatter and
Anti-universes, Faster than light, Time Travel, Parallel Universes, Perpetual
Motion Machines, and, Precognition.
Common Reading: Physics
of the Impossible, by Michio Kaku (Anchor
2009)
13. (LOF) LORDS OF FINANCE:
THE BANKERS WHO BROKE THE
WORLD
It is commonly believed that the Great Depression that
began in 1929 resulted from a confluence of events beyond any one persons or
governments control. In fact, many libertarian economists and our author,
Liaquat Ahamed, reveal that it was the decisions taken by a small number of
central bankers that were the primary cause of the economic meltdown, the
effects of which set the stage for World War II and reverberated for decades.
Many note that our current central banker, Ben Bernanke, is using all the same
failed methods to stem todays financial meltdown..
In Lords of Finance,
we meet the neurotic and enigmatic Montagu Norman of the Bank of England, the
xenophobic and suspicious mile Moreau of the Banque de France, the arrogant
yet brilliant Hjalmar Schacht of the Reichsbank, and Benjamin Strong of the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, whose faade of energy and drive masked a
deeply wounded and overburdened man. After the First World War, these central
bankers attempted to reconstruct the world of international finance. Despite
their differences, they were united by a common fear—that the greatest
threat to capitalism was inflation — and by a common vision that the
solution was to turn back the clock and return the world to the gold standard.
For a brief period in the mid-1920s they appeared to have succeeded. The
worlds currencies were stabilized and capital began flowing freely across the
globe. But beneath the veneer of boom-town prosperity, cracks started to appear
in the financial system. Many observers noted that beginning in late in 1928
Benjamin Strong accommodated the Bank England by creating artificial reserves
which then fed into the pre-cash final 1928-1929 stock market boom.
As yet another period of economic turmoil makes headlines
today, the Great Depression and the year 1929 remain the benchmark for true
financial mayhem. Offering a new understanding of the global nature of
financial crises, Lords of Finance is a
potent reminder of the enormous impact that the decisions of central bankers
can have, of their fallibility, and of the terrible human consequences that can
result when they are wrong. As we continue in this financial downward spiral we
will have opportunities for personal research and discussion to reflect and
debate whether creation of Wilsons Federal Reserve System has been either a
positive or negative force for American economic advance.
Common Reading: Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World; by Liaquat Ahamed
(Penguin Press HC; January 22, 2009; Amazon $21.75)
14. (MGC) 1215:
THE YEAR OF THE MAGNA CARTA
Never
before in history had royal authority been challenged so fundamentally. The
Magna Carta rooted in a desperate time has become the basis of modern
freedom. It would become the
foundation of the U.S. government and legal system.
England
of 1215 was a time of political revolution and broad domestic changes that saw
the Crusades, Richard the Lionhearted, King John, and –in legend- Robin
Hood all make their marks on history. Studying the events leading up to King John setting
his seal to this famous document at Runnymede in June 1215 will provide an
understanding of the lives of the nobles in the castles and the everyday lives
of the people in the towns and countryside.
Possible
subjects for research/presentations:
specific provisions of the Charter, royalty, nobility, topography of England, food production
and diets, castles and armies, roads and transportation, church power,
crusades.
Our
goal will be to
appreciate the events that led to the Magna Carta, the forces that made it
happen, and the continual impacts of this monumental document.
Common Reading: 1215
The Year of the Magna Carta,
Danny Danziger, John Gillingham (2003; Amazon.com, $12)
15. (MUS) THE REST IS NOISE
When many of us listen to contemporary music, how do we
react? Do we associate it with
cacophony, dissonance, chaos? Do
we make an effort to understand it, or do we simply ignore it and avoid it
whenever we can?
For those of us who would like a better understanding of
twentieth century composers and their works, there is a readable and
enlightening book by Alex Ross, the music critic for The New Yorker, which juxtaposes history and graphic arts with the
musical compositions of the last century. This book gives a comprehensive and detailed tour of music
beginning with Vienna before World War I, Paris in the Twenties, Hitlers
Germany, Stalins Russia and New York in the 60s and 70s. It includes the influence of jazz,
bebop, folksongs and other genres.
We learn about the avant garde composers beginning with Mahler,
Debussey, Schoenberg, Duke Ellington, Alban Berg, and John Cage among
others. An analysis of John Adams
opera Nixon in China appears in the final chapter.
This S/DG offers wonderful opportunities for lively
discussion and presentations. It
will likely explore new areas for lovers of traditional music.
Common
Reading: The Rest is Noise,
by Alex Ross ((Picador, Oct 2008; $18)
16. NAC) THE NEXT AMERICAN
CENTURY
This S/DG is intended to allow Omniloreans an opportunity
to examine the problems and opportunities facing the USA in this time of
CHANGE.
Many pundits have said that our country faces a time of
decline in international power and influence. This may be true in an absolute
sense as we are going through serious financial problems while at least some of
the other major countries (China, India, Russia, and the EU) appear to be still
growing their economies. However, the USA remains the most economically and
militarily powerful country. None of the other major countries appears to
intend aggression against the USA or to export an ideology to others. There
will be economic competition, but little threat of annihilation. This is very
different from the Cold War that still conditions the thoughts of many. The
major external threats of violence against the USA are from non-state terrorist
organizations, such as al Qaeda., which must be countered in non-conventional
ways. The arguments for this perspective are developed in our Common Reading,
which was written by two National Security Council analysts from the Clinton
White House.
This leaves the country free to address the many internal
problems that are the real threat to our future prosperity. These problems
include an increasingly unaffordable health care system, an education system
that has some outstanding and some appalling characteristics, environmental
issues, a social safety net that is both inadequate and headed for bankruptcy,
and the urgent need to develop new sources of energy with which to power our
civilization, and more. Many ideas are being proposed to address these internal
issues and will be the focus of the national attention.
Thus, this S/DG will function on two levels. The Common
Reading is intended to assure us of the safety of concentrating on our internal
problems. Our individual research and presentations are expected to mostly
examine alternatives to solving specific internal problems of the individual
class members choice. We should therefore be holding discussions on topics
that are being addressed by the new administration and debated throughout the
country. This should make for a timely and spirited S/DG.
Common Reading: The Next
American Century – How the U.S. Can Thrive As Other Powers Rise, by Nina Hachigian & Mona Sutphen, (Simon &
Schuster, 2008; $26 list, ISBN -10:
0-7432-9099-2)
17. (NYC) THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK CITY: A HELL OF A TOWN
Now almost four centuries old, New York has always played a
vital role in American history. It reigns as the commercial, financial,
intellectual, and psychological heart of the nation. Although more than eight
million people call it home, it somehow remains foreign to many Americans. This S/DG will examine its importance
and consider why New York is The Big Apple.
Common
Reading: New
York City: A Short History, by George
Lankevich
(NYU Press, 2002; $18.95)
18. (OHP) THE O. HENRY PRIZE STORIES 2008
This annual collection of the 20 best contemporary short stories, chosen from hundreds of literary magazines, is studded with extraordinary settings, plots and characters: for example, a teenager in survivalist Alaska, the seed-keeper of a doomed Chinese village, a woman trying to save her life in a Ukrainian internet cafe. Also included are the writers' comments on what inspired them, and short essays by the three jurors. Presenters will discuss a story as well as the author's background and comments
Common Reading: The O. Henry Prize Stories 2008, by Laura Furman
(May 6, 2008,
paperback)
19. (PHY) PHYSICS ENCOUNTERS CONSCIOUSNESS
We are conscious of the impression that we could have
chosen to do other than what we actually did. This perception that we have
'free will' is basic to the 'quantum enigma.' It is not necessary to have a physics background to
understand the basics of quantum mechanics and the resulting 'spooky' behavior
(and paradoxes). We'll contrast
the Newtonian world view to the various interpretations of a quantum mechanical
world view. Possible presentations
concern historical figures and their contributions, the various interpretations
of what quantum theory means, experiments that have demonstrated the paradox
proposed by Einstein, etc
Common Reading: Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness,
by Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner (Paperback - Jun 16, 2008; available from
Amazon for $12.91)
20. (PPZ) THE PERSIAN PUZZLE &
MODERN IRAN
Do Irans funding of terrorists and purported plans for
nuclear weapons keep you up at night? Join your fellow insomniacs in this
exploration of Americas options in the face of growing pressure from Europe
and the UN for the US to do something. Knowing that there are no easy
answers, well search the past and present for lessons that can guide the
future conduct of American policy. Well study Persian history from
ancient Persepolis through the reign of the Shahs to todays Islamic Republic
and examine the complicated record of US-Iranian relations. As we gain
understanding of the people, culture, and government of Iran, well take a
critical look at the policy recommendations put forward by the author of The
Persian Puzzle.
Common Reading: The
Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America
by
Kenneth Pollack (Random House,
2004 or 2005)
21. (SCI) THE TRUTH BEHIND
SOME OF THE GREATEST
SCIENTIFIC
DISCOVERIES
We imagine great scientists to be virtuous, with brilliant
insights and tenacity in their research. While this is often the case, the text
for this study group, Einsteins Luck: The Truth Behind Some of the Greatest
Scientific Discoveries by
John Waller (Oxford University paperback, 2004) looks at great scientists who
may not have deserved all the accolades that history bestowed on them.
We will first consider what the author calls right for the wrong
reasons. For example, we will discuss Louis Pasteurs work, about which the
author claims that data that did not support the germ theory were withheld.
Likewise, we will discuss Robert Millikans electron work, where the author
makes similar claims that data were withheld. Then we will consider what the
author calls telling science as it is. For example, we will study Joseph
Listers lack of adequate sanitation in the operating room and Alexander
Flemings very limited role in the development of penicillin.
John Waller implies that luck often played an important role in
scientific discoveries - and egos, political connections, and ethical
shortcomings often determined who received credit for discoveries. We will
examine the merits of Wallers revisionist perspectives. In the process, we
should gain a better understanding of these scientists lives, their works, the
historical context of their discoveries, and an appreciation for the challenges
that they encountered in their research. No scientific background is required
for participation, just an eagerness to explore this fascinating subject.
Common Reading: Einsteins
Luck: The Truth Behind Some of the Greatest Scientific Discoveries, by John
Waller
(July
2004, paperback; 320 pages)
22. (SDS)
SEVEN DEADLY SINS
For
each of the Seven Deadly Sins, this sampler book has two short stories for each
sin. The authors include Faulkner, Flannery OConnor, Wharton, Kipling,
Chekhov, D. H. Lawrence, and Raymond Carver. These wicked tales are guaranteed to ignite your moral
imagination. A foreword by Al Gini gives readers insight into the history of sin.
Common Reading: The
7 Deadly Sins Sampler
(available
from the Great Books Foundation, $19.95)
23. (WHY) WHY WE ARE THE WAY WE ARE
Would you like to better understand: why certain past
relationships didnt work; what people most likely think of you; and, good
models for the general dynamics of human relations? Do you accept that we
humans have evolved from other animals over aeons of time AND that you
can live with that? If so, then Robert
Wrights Moral Animal is still the best introduction to the new science of
evolutionary biology – a science which will have answers to these and
many other questions. Evolutionary biology is the first attempt to provide a
scientific basis for human psychology. It is based on a New Darwinian perspective
that some of our behaviors increase our chances of reproductive success more
than others. Success here means that each of us would pass on our genes as
far and wide into the future as possible.
With the author we will first explore the sexes and why
both sexes are a disappointment to each other. Why do men lie, cheat and hustle
relentlessly for sex? Why do women
manipulate available males into caring for their offspring and, if possible,
the offspring fathered by other males? What about monogamy, faith and trust?
Can we use this knowledge to improve relations between the sexes? Next we will
explore sociality – how kin selection, reciprocal altruism and the
evolution of emotions such as gratitude, obligation, guilt and friendship help
us be more fit. Then we will explore hierarchy and status and how and why we
deceive ourselves in order to deceive others better. And finally, we will
explore morality – what it is, how it evolved over the aeons and whether
our genetic makeup is consistent with a much more rapid social evolution. We
will ponder on how an is (what we are) should become an ought (what we
should do) for mans survival and well-being qua man – evolutionary man
as a being with a rational faculty. Do we follow John Stuart Mills utilitarianism
as the author does or follow insights of secular humanists like Jacob Bronowski
or Ayn Rand?
There will be many opportunities for personal research and
discussion - including how one lady Amazon.com reader/reviewer was able to
claim that by accepting these patterns of motivational behavior she benefitted
personally – a ring on her finger and great success as an HR manager!
Common Reading: The
Moral Animal: Why We Are The Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary
Psychology, by Robert Wright (paperback,
August 1995; $5-11, amazon.com)
24. (WRI)
THE WRITING MIND
This S/DG concentrates on fostering creativity and
improving techniques of the writer through the production of original pieces of
writing, literary critique and presentations by each group member. Presentations are on literary topics or
on the philosophy, subtleties or techniques of writing. Each member will be responsible for; a
presentation, at least two submissions of original fiction, non-fiction,
poetry, or other form of writing, and for reading and critiquing submissions
from other group members.
Common Reading: None
Suggested
25. (WWT) WORLD WAR II: THE REST OF THE STORY
AND HOW IT AFFECTS
YOU
TODAY, 1930 TO SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
This is the third of three books in which Richard Maybury connects the many events of war and history to introduce his argument for adopting a more non-interventionist foreign policy. Previously, we studied The Thousand Year War in the Mideast to reach a more informed opinion regarding U.S. involvement in Mideast affairs. Then we studied his World War I in which we learned how power corrupts morals and that ten deadly ideas lead us inevitably to wars.
In all three classes
we apply two higher laws based on common law principles: Do all you have agreed to do; and,
do not encroach on other persons or their property. Using these we will interpret key
little-known facts and learn how to connect them to all the others. Armed with insights concerning the uses
of propaganda in the past we will look to better understand our current
opponents point of view, diligently seek hard evidence for our conclusions and
only then resolutely march off to war for the best of reasons.
Our author believes
that the two higher laws are above that of any government's, and, that by
observing them we will regain personal liberty, free market abundance and a
more secure homeland. The economic, legal and political models he uses are
consistent with those of our Founding Fathers. His argument for a less
interventionist foreign policy is in line with the advice of George Washington
in his Farewell Address. Although all of Mayburys books are short and easy to
read there will be many topics for spirited discussion and personal research. The author's perspective in
differentiating between a people and the actions of their government might be
controversial to some and refreshing to others. As in our previous classes we
will discuss many lessons that might be learned from adopting this view of
history.
Common Reading: World War II: The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today, 1930 to September 11, 2001, by Richard Maybury ,*2003, Blue Stocking Press; paperback $19.95
All Omnilore members can review previous class websites for both 08c_KY1-Thousand_Year_War-1 and 09a_WWI-World_War_I by exploring the Omnilore SDG Folders at . http://www.omnilore.org/members/Curriculum/SDGs/