Ethics and Social Justice

ETHICS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COURSES

All students are required to take at least 0.5 credits in Ethics and Social Justice.

WORLD RELIGIONS

Open to Grades 10-12 Credit: 0.5 In order to be a culturally competent global citizen, one must understand the motivations, traditions, and cultural forces that influence the globe, including religion. Though the United States is an increasingly secular state, other parts of the world are strongly influenced by their religious traditions, informing international relations, social values, and the global marketplace. This class will address the religious practices of the major world religions and the vast spectrum of beliefs within each that makes it difficult to generalize about them. To honor the living traditions that we are studying, we will not only examine but will also find ways to experience the Hindu Traditions and various Yogas, Buddhism and Meditation (or the interpretation of a Koan), Taoism and Tai Chi, Islam and Prayer, Christianity and Worship, Judaism and the study of the Torah, and native Aboriginal and American relationships to the Earth. In the midst of this quest, we will consider the way astrology, cults, New Age practices, and mindfulness function as derivatives of religious intent.

INTRODUCTION TO ETHICAL REASONING

Open to Grades 11-12 Credit: 0.5 Human society has always looked for answers to big questions: Why am I here? What is my place in society? How should I behave toward others? What is the nature of good and evil? This course introduces students to tracts of moral and political philosophy from Aristotle to Nussbaum. Ethical reasoning is applied to an examination of contemporary issues such as bioengineering, human rights, social justice, our relationship to the natural world, and the obligations of citizenship. Students will be encouraged to use what they are learning as a framework to develop and support their own opinions on these topics.

INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES

Open to Grades 11-12 Credit: 0.5 This course will introduce students to systems of social inequality in the United States. We will investigate the structural, interpersonal and social dimensions of oppression. Course materials will explore the ways that sexism, heterosexism and racism have developed over time as well as the ways they impact each of us everyday. Students will develop language, tools and skills to create positive social change.

COLONIALISM AND THE CARIBBEAN

Open to Grades 11-12 Credit: 0.5 This course will explore the legacies of colonialism using Albert Memmi’s framework from the book The Colonizer and the Colonized. Students will investigate the social, cultural and economic impact of Colonialism on the present day with a specific focus on Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Students will develop an understanding of colonialism and its lasting impact on a nation politically and economically.

MORAL COURAGE Not offered 2022-23 Open to Grades 11-12 Credit: 0.5 What do Greta Thunburg, Malala, Colin Kaepernick, Rosa Parks, Alexei Navalny, Aung San Suu Kyi, Socrates, and Harry Potter all have in common? What allows some people to take and hold a moral or political stand even when it threatens their life and safety? What choices do we have in the face of opposition and pressure to sit down and conform? And what can we do to strengthen our own moral compass enough to be able to change the world? These are the questions we will consider as we look at some of our heroes and role models from a wide range of disciplines and time frames. This interdisciplinary class will be different in that you, the students, will choose the role models we study and where and how they, and you, have found moral courage. Our goal is for us to develop a plan that will bolster our moral compass, our courage, and our ability to do the right thing, no matter the consequences.

THE GOOD LIFE Not offered 2022-23 Open to Grades 11-12 Credit: 0.5 Aristotle called it eudaimonia, which is usually translated as well-being, flourishing, happiness, or fulfillment. What does it mean to live a good life? Do we all agree on what the good life is or should be? Do we need to? Philosophers, priests, economists, and sages in every generation have tried to answer the question, but overwhelmingly it has been answered by men. Do women have a different answer? We will draw upon several religious, philosophical, and folk traditions as we ask the question: what is a life worth living – today – for you? We will examine different models of the good life as we practice habits of reflection and action. We will combine personal reflection with group conversation as we will grapple with consequential thinkers and engage in a deep learning experience that prepares you for a concluding exercise in articulating your own vision of the good life.