The Paradoxes of War teaches us to understand that war is not only a normal part of human existence, but is arguably one of the most important factors in making us who we are. Through this course, I hope that you will come to appreciate that war is both a natural expression of common human emotions and interactions and a constitutive part of how we cohere as groups. That is, war is paradoxically an expression of our basest animal nature and the exemplar of our most vaunted and valued civilized virtues. You will learn some basic military history and sociology in this course as a lens for the more important purpose of seeing the broader social themes and issues related to war. I want you to both learn about war, but more importantly, use it as way of understanding your everyday social world. So, for example, the discussion of war and gender will serve to start you thinking about how expectations of masculinity are created and our discussion of nationalism will make clear how easy “us-them” dichotomies can be established and (ab)used. I will suggest some readings for you to complement the class and assign some activities through which you will be able to apply the theoretical insights from the course to your observations of everyday life. At the end of the course, you will start to see war everywhere and come to appreciate how much it defines our life.
ofrecido por
Paradoxes of War
Universidad de PrincetonAcerca de este Curso
ofrecido por
Universidad de Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.
Programa - Qué aprenderás en este curso
Introduction/Welcome
The basic paradoxes of war: how it builds and destroys, produces love and hate are discussed. Outline of course and general expectations.
The Nature of War
War is a product of both “natural” instincts and a social creation involving the imposition of organization and authority structures.
The Causes of War
Causes of war may be described as material, cultural, and psychological. At the heart of war is the product of us-them dynamics.
The Experience of War
In order to understand the social creation of war we need to
Reseñas
Principales reseñas sobre PARADOXES OF WAR
Very interesting topic and well-presented, too. Covers virtually every historic period in which there's been warfare (which, I guess, is every historic period in which there's been people).
Great course! This course has provided some great information and proposed some important philosophical questions. I wish there were exams and a certificate to go along with it too.
Lovely course. Wonderful understanding of the Professor about War and its related implications. Thank you Professor. For the first time I fully understood the horror of holocaust.
This is a really interesting and unique class! The professor is extremely knowledgeable about his field, and does an amazing job at explaining the sociology behind war.
Preguntas Frecuentes
¿Cuándo podré acceder a las lecciones y tareas?
Can I earn a certificate in this course?
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