Critical Thinking for Violent Times with Ahmed Afzaal

Critical Thinking for Violent Times with Ahmed Afzaal

• This is an 8-meeting virtual class using the Zoom platform.
• Wednesdays, Feb 5, 12, 19, 26, March 5, 12, 19, 26
• 1-2:30pm CT
• Our classes are taught asynchronously, which means you can watch a recording of the class later if you miss the live session

This course is for you if you feel confused and overwhelmed by the news of war, terror, and mayhem, finding it hard to make sense of it all. During the 8-week class, students will learn to do the following:

1. Analyze any argument into its parts;
2. Explain the importance of clarity and consistency when dealing with contested terms;
3. Compare the standard definition of "violence" with three alternative definitions;
4. Identify the principal types of violence and their mutual relationship;
5. Recognize the psychological processes that make violence acceptable or necessary;
6. Compare the various standard and alternative definitions of "terrorism;"
7. Identify the principal types of terrorism and their mutual relationship;
8. Define and explain the concepts of "peace" and "nonviolence."

INSTRUCTOR BIO

Dr. Ahmed Afzaal holds a PhD in the sociology of religion from Drew University (Madison, NJ). Currently, he is an associate professor in the religion department at Concordia College (Moorhead, MN). He is the author of Teaching at Twilight: The Meaning of Education in the Age of Collapse (2023, Cascade Books).

HND VALUE STATEMENT

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota. However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally. Therefore, our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University. To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.

Humanities North Dakota classes and events are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities