LS 753 - Philosophy of Peace

(3.00 cr.)

Key issues in peace studies are approached from a philosophical perspective. The primary focus is on thinkers who conceive of peace as a realizable option for humanity, and not merely as the incidental absence of war. Readings are drawn from major figures in the history of the Western philosophical tradition-from Thucydides to Tolstoy, Russell and beyond-as well as some twentieth- and twenty-first-century voices in the Eastern world, such as Gandhi and Thich Nhat Hahn. Classroom philosophical discussions of peace are placed in a contemporary context through readings of current journalism which provide political and philosophical analyses of the current world situation.