Paideia Courses

Paideia 111, 112

4, 4 hours

A two-semester common course for all first-year students, focused on one or more themes that confront us as learners and as citizens. Paideia I is committed to developing students' abilities as critical readers, writers, informed speakers, and researchers. The course draws on European, African, Asian, and American traditions so that students will encounter multiple perspectives in seeking answers to the questions posed by the course. Material is drawn from ancient times through the present. Students must successfully complete the course to graduate and are not allowed to withdraw from Paideia 111 and 112.

Paideia II 450

4 hours

A team-taught course for juniors and seniors devoted to interdisciplinary study of an ethical issue that confronts us in our lives as learners and citizens. Paideia II courses pay special attention to the nature of moral decision-making and to the continued development of students' writing skills. The Paideia II requirement is completed during the junior or senior year in a course taught at Luther College or in a designated Luther-sponsored program. Students may satisfy Paideia II in one of four ways:

1. By enrolling in a single Paideia II course team-taught by faculty from two or more disciplines (departments)
2. By co-enrolling in an interdisciplinary cluster of two paired courses specially designed by participating faculty
3. By enrolling in a specially designed sequence of two courses taught by two different faculty members in the same academic year
4. Through the completion of an interdisciplinary minor with a designated Paideia II component

Paideia II courses recently offered:

A. Biodiversity

This course examines various aspects of Earth's most serious ecological crisis: the prospect of mass extinction of plant and animal species. The course surveys the evolutionary sources and the ecological significance of biological diversity, assesses the fate of human cultures which failed to recognize and observe the limits of ecological disturbance, and assesses the influence of intellectual, moral and religious traditions both in creating and now attempting to respond to the biodiversity crisis.

B. Making Decisions for U.S. Schools

This course examines issues about schooling in the United States and explores the questions which educators, citizens, parents and students face regarding education. In addition to looking at features of schools, students examine the relationship between religion, politics and economics in the schools of our nation. Students explore religious and secular values and their effect on educational decisions and behaviors, particularly as those values related to ethnicity, race, class and gender. The course also discusses how contemporary educators, parents, citizens and students must understand the legacy of historical decisions about schools that continue to influence modern systems of education.

C. Health Care Ethics

This course provides a case-study approach to contemporary ethical issues in U.S. health care. Utilizing resources derived from Christianity and Western moral traditions, students develop their own moral framework to respond to issues like abortion, genetic engineering, and the allocation of scarce resources. Attention is given to the communal dimension of moral deliberation and to the social, political, economic, legal, religious, and technological forces that impact health care practice today.

D. Practicing Embodiment

This course is an interdisciplinary exercise between religion, spirituality, and dance, exploring the idea of how the human body may be used as a sacred space. Through the practice of embodiment, we will critically deconstruct the dualism between body and mind, and the material and spiritual dimensions. The ethical consequences of such dualism will be evaluated and concrete proposals will be explored through theological analysis and somatic practices.

E. English Theatre: Mirror of Society and the Human Condition

This course is a study of London and Stratford theatre in its contexts—the history, culture, and values of England and the modern world. The theatre, the richest in the world in its variety and depth (from highbrow to farce, Shakespeare to Stoppard), serves as focus for exploration of the cities London and Stratford, and of the intellectual, aesthetic, and moral territory of drama.

F. Constructing Islam

Understanding Islam is essential in today's geopolitical climate. This course will explore the nature of Islam, examine how Islam and Muslims are represented in global media, especially in light of the events of September 11, 2001, and consider the relevance of movements like Islamic Democracy, Islamic Economics and Islamic Feminism or an understanding of Islam in the contemporary world. The representation of Islam and Muslims in a variety of rhetorical forms in the U.S. will be evaluated and compared with media messages in Islamic countries, and the ethical implications of these constructions will be analyzed.

G. Global Citizenship

This course is designed for students who have spent a semester or more studying abroad. It will enable students to reflect on how their immersion in a foreign culture has affected their values and vocation. By combining practical experiences with scholarly and artistic works, students will a) reflect on the role of culture, b) think about the articulation and application of values in the public sphere, c) explore the relation among politics, economics, culture, and society, and d) develop their own ethical perspectives as "global citizens." There will be a heavy emphasis on writing, group work and oral presentations.

H. Green Germany: Advanced Models of Sustainability

This course will survey social structures that have historically supported and promoted environmental pollution and destruction, particularly in Europe, and will draw on similarities between the German and American situations. Students will study and visit environmentally sustainable projects and engage with political parties and local citizen organizations in Germany, Iceland, and Denmark. Central to the course are ethical issues in the development of environmentally sustainable projects, including both the immediate impacts and long term implications on the local populations. The group will be based in Husum, northern Germany, a major wind energy center, and will visit Hamburg, Berlin, Denmark, and Iceland.

I. Ethics, Energy, and Climate Policy

Since energy is vital to all dimensions of life, patterns related to energy production and consumption pose a host of social, political, and environmental challenges that require moral deliberation.  This course draws upon the Christian stewardship tradition and the concept of sustainable development to examine U.S. energy issues.  The course gives special attention to the energy policy of the Bush Administration, fossil fuels, the potential of renewable energy sources, and various issues related to nuclear energy.  A day-long field trip to a coal-fired power plant is required.

J. CyberEthics

This course explores the legal and ethical issues connected with computers, the Internet, and the digital reality they create. It is the nature of technological innovations to be a challenge to every legal and ethical system. As our lives are changed by these inventions, existing laws will have to be expanded or new laws will have to be created. Our understanding of "right" and "wrong" must be applied to new circumstances, and even as society adapts these new insights, technology itself changes again. Topics covered include Internet governing, cyber-rights and cyber-liberties, privacy, intellectual property, professional codes of ethics, freedom of speech, and issues related to ethical use of technology.

K. Ethics and Technology

Technologies pervade modern life. They buzz in our pockets, heat our food, transport us across vast distances, but also change the atmosphere of the planet. Are they merely means that contribute to our fulfillment of the good life? Or do some technologies and the mindset that accompanies them diminish what it means to be human? How should we assess technologies ethically? To what extent do technologies illumine, exacerbate, create, or resolve moral problems? This course explores questions like these as they arise in the areas of globalization, economics, and human rights; computers, robotics, and information technology; biotechnology and genetic engineering; and population, energy, and the environment.

L. "Got Health?"

This course explores ethical issues connected with the marketing of health and health care services. Health (as defined in a variety of ways) and delivery of services is a lucrative business. Big business has developed retail strategies to communicate to consumers a clear definition of what health is - often achievable with the purchase of certain products or services. Innovative websites, traditional media advertising and social media are all being utilized to sell profitable health care services and health care products to certain demographics in such fields as maternity, cosmetic surgery, ER/trauma and cardiac care. Pharmaceutical companies are marketing medications directly to consumers as well as to physicians raising ethical concerns related to conflicts of interest. The relationships between the disciplines of marketing and the disciplines in health care are problematic. Medicine often needs marketing to provide a "competitive advantage" along with a frequent need to communicate information valuable to the consumer. However, financial inducements can impede the trust and confidence that the consumer has for their medical provider. These potential interdisciplinary conflicts will be explored and analyzed using specific case studies as the mechanism for ethical reflection. Students will be challenged to consider how marketing is used to construct notions of value and import and how these notions might challenge ethical principles.

M. Mosque and State: A Look at Turkey

This study abroad course will explore the role of religion and state in Turkish culture and society. It will offer the unique opportunity of meeting with communities from different religious backgrounds (Islam and Christianity), as well as political leaders within the country to see how faith, law, and ethics interact in the religious-political sphere. We will learn about Islam and minority populations, and we will explore change through an ethical lens. We will also visit historical and cultural sites (such as Istanbul and Ephesus).

N. From Sea to Mountain: Ethical Dilemmas of Land Use in Hawaii

Students will explore the geographic and cultural mosaic of contemporary Hawaii. The Hawaiian Islands encompass a unique environment that is threatened by overuse, invasive species, and economic pressures. Citizens of the state bring competing ideas about land use from Hawaiian, Asian, and Western perspectives to bear on efforts to preserve Hawaii's distinctive character. Local politicians and activist fight to protect the natural environment while still providing for the economic well being of the citizens of the island state. Students in this class will be asked to weigh these competing efforts.

O. Christianity, Slavery & Christian Imagery in African Literature

This course explores the complex connections between Christianity and the North Atlantic slave trade by 1) studying and visiting the Cape Coast slave castle, as well as other landmarks and institutions of the slave industry in Ghana; and 2) examining and interpreting historical, literary, and religious texts related to slavery. We consider the way European and European-American Christians justified slavery through their interpretative and institutional practices. We also examine the perspective of African writers on the effects of Christianity upon indigenous cultures and social institutions.

P. Here on Earth: Vocation in a Sustainable Global Community

This course explores texts, including films that reveal the interdependence between people and communities as we strive to nurture well-being on our planet Earth. Discussion will be framed by the concept of vocation and will draw on the experiences of local individuals who are committed to some form of "social" sustainability in their life's work. This exploration will lead to the question, "How can educated, morally serious people discern their roles in a global community?"

Q. Ritual and Performance in Japan

This course will examine religious rituals as well as performance arts that emphasize religious themes in Japan. The course focuses on Buddhist and Shinto rituals, which it compares to the basic liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. The course will examine how rituals use choreography to convey religious meaning and how performance arts, especially Noh and Kabuki, fulfill a religious function. Particularly, the course will explore how religions use movement as ritual device and inscribe religious meaning on the body. Finally, the course investigates the ethics of body politics and ritual representation.