ES.114 | Fall 2018 | Undergraduate

Non-violence as a Way of Life

Readings and Videos

 

WEEK # TOPICS READINGS AND VIDEOS
1 Love, Non-violence, and Truth

Readings:

The Sermon on the Mount.” Matthew 5:1–7:27 (King James Version). Bible Gateway.

Tolstoy, Leo. Chapter 4 in The Kingdom of God is Within You Or, Christianity Not as a Mystical Teaching but as a New Concept of Life (PDF), pp. 56–60. 1893. The Anarchist Library.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. “Draft of Chapter IV, ‘Love in Action.’” (PDF) The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project, Stanford University.

———. “Loving Your Enemies.” (PDF) November 17, 1957. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project, Stanford University.

———. “The Power of Nonviolence.” Chapter 3 in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Edited by James M. Washington. HarperOne, 2003. ISBN: 9780060646912. [Preview with Google Books]

———. “On Love and Nonviolence.” In Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines. Edited by Richard J. Foster and Emilie Griffin. HarperOne, 2007. ISBN: 9780060628727.

Thiruvalluvar. Chapters 3, 11–13, 17, 19, 30–32, 34–37, 42, 44, 54–55, 58, and 63 in Thirukkural in English: A Modern Rendition of the Tamil Classic. Translated by Kannan. WordPress.

Horsburgh, H.J.N. “The Distinctiveness of Satyagraha.” Philosophy East and West 19, no. 2 (1969): 171–80.

Sivananda, Swami. “Ahimsa.” Chapter 1 in Bliss Divine: A Book of Spiritual Essays on the Lofty Purpose of Human Life. Divine Life Society, 2009. ISBN: 9788170520047. 

Gandhi, Mahatma. (1), 441–494, and 498 in “Non-violence.” The Complete Site on Mahatma Gandhi.

———. “The Birth of Satyagraha.” The Complete Site on Mahatma Gandhi.

Krishna, P. “Ahimsa (non-violence) in Daily Life.”

Murphy, Stephen. “Brief Outline of Gandhi’s Philosophy.” The Complete Site on Mahatma Gandhi.

2 Non-violent Communication

Readings:

Rosenberg, Marshall B. Extracts from Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. 2nd edition. Puddledancer Press, 2003. ISBN: 9781892005038. 

Romero, Luis E. “Solving Complex Problems with the 11 Laws of Systems Thinking.” August 11, 2017. LinkedIn.

Katz, Neil, and Kevin McNulty. “Reflective Listening.” (PDF)

Brooks, David. “How to Engage a Fanatic,” New York Times, October 23, 2017.

Carter, Stephen L. Civility. Harper Perennial, 1999. ISBN: 9780060977597. 

Video:

On Being Wrong | Kathryn Schulz.” YouTube.

3 Non-violent Conflict Resolution

Readings:

Segal, Jeanne, and Melinda Smith. “Conflict Resolution Skills.” May 2019. HelpGuide.

CR Kit: Introduction - Conflict is the Stuff of Life.” Conflict Resolution Network.

McCarthy, Coleman. “Conflict Resolution in Nine Easy Steps.” (PDF) 

Naess, Arne. “A Systematization of Gandhian Ethics of Conflict Resolution.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 2, no. 2 (1958): 140–55.

Godrej, Farah. “Nonviolence and Gandhi’s Truth: A Method for Moral and Political Arbitration.” Review of Politics 68, no. 2 (2006): 287–317.

Wholistic Stress Control Institute, Inc. “Ten Strategies for Conflict Resolution.” (PDF)

Scott, Elizabeth. “Effects of Conflict and Stress on Relationships.” March 21, 2019. Verywell.

4 Coercion and Manipulation

Readings:

Noggle, Robert. “The Ethics of Manipulation.” March 30, 2018. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Ni, Preston.“14 Signs of Psychological and Emotional Manipulation.” Psychology Today, October 11, 2015.

Cave, Eric M. “What’s Wrong with Motive Manipulation?Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 10, no. 2 (2007): 129–44.

Greenspan, Patricia. “The Problem with Manipulation.” American Philosophical Quarterly 40, no. 2 (2003): 155–64.

Rudinow, Joel. “Manipulation.” Ethics 88, no. 4 (1978): 338–47.

Gorr, Michael. “Toward a Theory of Coercion.” Canadian Journal of Philosophy 16, no. 3 (1986): 383–405.

Ryan, Cheyney C. “The Normative Concept of Coercion.” Mind 89, no. 356 (1980): 481–98.

Dewey, John. “Force and Coercion.” International Journal of Ethics 26, no. 3 (1916): 359–67.

5 Kindness and Cruelty

Readings:

Jaksch, Mary. “The Skill of Goodness.” (PDF)

Schreiner, Michael. “Choosing Kindness.” June 16, 2014. Evolution Counseling.

———. “Cruelty and Kindness.” November 7, 2014. Evolution Counseling.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. “Kindness.” Poets.org.

Thiruvalluvar. “Compassion.” Chapter 58 in Thirukkural in English: A Modern Rendition of the Tamil Classic. Translated by Kannan. WordPress.

Morris, Tom. “Kindness and Respect.” Tomvmorris.com.

Wegesin, Domonick. “Righteousness vs. Kindness: A Dialogue of the Ego and the Heart.” May 2, 2016. Domonick Wegesin: The Opener.

Walsh, Jessica, and Timothy Goodman.“12 Kinds of Kindness.”

Regan, Tom. “Cruelty, Kindness, and Unnecessary Suffering.” Philosophy 55, no. 214 (1980): 532–41.

Putman, Daniel. “The Compatibility of Justice and Kindness.” Philosophy 65, no. 254 (1990): 516–17.

Padgett, Corey. “On Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Cruelty.” (PDF) M.A. Thesis. McMaster University. 2011.

Video:

Nick Lowe - Cruel to Be Kind.” YouTube.

6 Forgiveness

Readings:

Forgiveness.” Wikipedia.

Cole, Tim. “The Key to Forgiveness?Psychology Today, October 15, 2017.

Ponton, Lynn. “What is Forgiveness?” October 8, 2018. PsychCentral.

Hughes, Paul M., and Brandon Warmke. “Forgiveness.” May 31, 2017. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Popova, Maria. “Poet and Philosopher David Whyte on Anger, Forgiveness, and What Maturity Really Means.” Brain Pickings.

———. “A Rap on Race: Margaret Mead and James Baldwin’s Rare Conversation on Forgiveness and the Difference Between Guilt and Responsibility.” Brain Pickings.

Gerson, Michael. “The Power of Forgiveness in Charleston,” Washington Post, June 22, 2015.

Chason, Rachel. “A Black Blues Musician Has a Unique Hobby: Befriending White Supremacists,” Washington Post, August 30, 2017.

Hieronymi, Pamela. “Articulating an Uncompromising Forgiveness.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 62, no. 3 (2001): 529–55.

Norlock, Kathryn J., and Jean Rumsey. “The Limits of Forgiveness.” Hypatia 24, no. 1, Oppression and Moral Agency: Essays in Honor of Claudia Card (2009): 100–122.

Rashdall, Hastings. “The Ethics of Forgiveness.” International Journal of Ethics 10, no. 2 (1900): 193–206.

Tullis, Paul. “Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice?,” New York Times Magazine, January 4, 2013.

Strawson, Peter. “Freedom and Resentment.” Chapter 1 in Perspectives on Moral Responsibility. Edited by John Martin Fischer and Mark Ravizza. Cornell University Press, 1994. ISBN: 9780801481598. [Preview with Google Books]

Zaibert, Leo. “The Paradox of Forgiveness.” Journal of Moral Philosophy 6, no. 3 (2009) 365–93.

Brooks, David. “America: The Redeemer Nation,” New York Times, November 23, 2017.

Berrin, Danielle. “Should We Forgive the Men Who Assaulted Us?,” New York Times, December 22, 2017.

DeSteno, David. “The Only Way to Keep Your Resolutions,” New York Times, December 29, 2017.

Griswold, Charles L. “On Forgiveness,” New York Times, December 26, 2010.

Video:

Our Story of Rape and Reconciliation | Thordis Elva and Tom Stranger.” YouTube.

7 Anger and Emotion

Readings:

Scarantino, Andrea, and Ronald de Sousa. “Emotion.” September 25, 2018. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

A Bag of Nails; Some Definitions; A Bit of Buddhist Psychology.” Anger and Aversion. A View on Buddhism.

Seltzer, Leon F.  “Feeling Vulnerable? No Problem-Just Get Angry.” Psychology Today, March 7, 2018.

Rako, Susan. “I Want to Get Rid of My Anger.” Psychology Today, September 15, 2018.

Anger.” Wikipedia.

Pratt, Kim. “Psychology Tools: What is Anger? A Secondary Emotion.” February 3, 2014. HealthyPsych.

O’Brien, Barbara. “Buddhism’s Solutions for Anger.” June 27, 2018. Learn Religions.

Thera, Ven. K. Piyatissa. “The Elimination of Anger: With Two Stories Retold from the Buddhist Texts.” 1994. Access to Insight.

Anger.” Cathechism of the Catholic Church.

Frank, Daniel H. “Anger as a Vice: A Maimonidean Critique of Aristotle’s Ethics.” History of Philosophy Quarterly 7, no. 3 (1990): 269–81.

Schimmel, Solomon. “Education of the Emotions in Jewish Devotional Literature: Anger and Its Control.” Journal of Religious Ethics 8, no. 2 (1980): 259–76.

McWeeny, Jen. “Liberating Anger, Embodying Knowledge: A Comparative Study of María Lugones and Zen Master Hakuin.” Hypatia 25, no. 2 (2010): 295–315.

Vernezze, Peter J. “Moderation or the Middle Way: Two Approaches to Anger.” Philosophy East and West 58, no. 1 (2008): 2–16.

Marks, Joel. “Emotion East and West: Introduction to a Comparative Philosophy.” Philosophy East and West 41, no. 1 (1991): 1–30.

Wallace, R. Jay. “An Anti-Philosophy of the Emotions?Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 60, no. 2 (2000): 469–77.

Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. “On Anger: Book 1.” (PDF) Sophia Project Philosophy Archives.

Popova, Maria. “Ursula K. Le Guin on Anger.” Brain Pickings.

———. “May Sarton on Anger as Creativity in Reverse and a Safety Valve Against Madness.” Brain Pickings.

———. “The Great Zen Master Seung Sahn Soen-sa on the Four Types of Anger and Its Paradoxical Constructive Side.” Brain Pickings.

8 Non-violence and Anger

Readings:

Pettigrove, Glen. “Meekness and ‘Moral’ Anger.” Ethics 122, no. 2 (2012): 341–70.

Popova, Maria. “Philosopher Martha Nussbaum on Anger, Forgiveness, the Emotional Machinery of Trust, and the Only Fruitful Response to Betrayal in Intimate Relationships.” Brain Pickings.

Horton, Randall. “Martha Nussbaum and Anger, Apologies, and Forgiveness.” June 7, 2017. HuffPost.

Gillespie, Becky Beaupre. “Prof. Martha Nussbaum Book Examines the Trouble with Anger and Forgiveness,” UChicago News, May 27, 2016.

Nussbaum, Martha. “When is Forgiveness Right?,” Indian Express, October 9, 2012.

Thera, Ven. K. Piyatissa. “The Elimination of Anger: With Two Stories Retold from the Buddhist Texts.” 1994. Access to Insight.

Anger.” Cathechism of the Catholic Church.

9 Telling the Truth, Part I

Readings:

Gibson, James L.  “Does Truth Lead to Reconciliation?” Chapter 1 in Overcoming Apartheid: Can Truth Reconcile a Divided Nation? Russell Sage Foundation, 2006. ISBN: 9780871543134. [Preview with Google Books]

Kant, Immanuel. “On a Supposed Right to Lie Because of Philanthropic Concerns.” (PDF)

MacIntyre, Alasdair. “Truthfulness, Lies, and Moral Philosophers: What Can We Learn from Mill and Kant?” (PDF) The Tanner Lectures on Human Values, delivered at Princeton University. April 6 and 7, 1994.

Korsgaard, Christine M. “The Right to Lie: Kant on Dealing with Evil.”  Philosophy and Public Affairs 15, no. 4 (1986): 325–49.

Beck, Martha. “When Is It Okay to Lie?O, The Oprah Magazine, April 2014.

10 Telling the Truth, Part II

Readings:

Jacobs, A.J. “I Think You’re Fat.” Esquire, July 24, 2007.

Blanton, Brad. “Introduction.” In Radical Honesty: How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth. Sparrowhawk Publications, 2005. ISBN: 9780970693846.

Hanson, Robin. “Meta Honesty.” October 12, 2007. Overcoming Bias.

Bilgrami, Akeel. “Gandhi, the Philosopher.” Economic and Political Weekly 38, no. 39 (2003): 4159–65.

Frankfurt, Harry. “On Bullshit.” (PDF) 1986.

Healy, Ben. “Gossiping is Good.” The Atlantic, July / August 2018.

Adams, Scott. “Dilbert comic strip - August 31, 2011.”  Dilbert.com.  

Audio:

Need To Know Basis.” March 27, 2015. This American Life.

Video:

The Moth Presents Starlee Kine: Radical Honesty.” YouTube.

11 Punishment and Revenge, Part I

Readings:

Bedau, Hugo Adam, and Erin Kelly. “Punishment.” July 31, 2015. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Darrow, Clarence S. “Theory of Crime and Punishment.” Chapter 5 in Resist Not Evil. 1903. Archive.org.

———. “The Measure of Punishment.” Chapter 11 in Resist Not Evil. 1903. Archive.org.

———. “The Right Treatment of Violence.” Chapter 16 in Resist Not Evil. 1903. Archive.org.

Barton, Charles. “Theories of Restorative Justice.” (PDF) Australian Journal of Professional and Applied Ethics 2, no. 1 (2000): 41–53.

Materni, Mike C. “Criminal Punishment and the Pursuit of Justice.” (PDF) British Journal of American Legal Studies 2, no. 1 (2013): 263–304.

Gabbay, Zvi D.  “Justifying Restorative Justice: A Theoretical Justification for the Use of Restorative Justice Practices.” (PDF - 3.4MB) Journal of Dispute Resolution 2005, no. 2 (2005): 349–97.

Villa-Vicencio, Charles. “The Reek of Cruelty and the Quest for Healing: Where Retributive and Restorative Justice Meet.” Journal of Law and Religion 14, no. 1 (1999–2000): 165–87.

12 Punishment and Revenge, Part II

Readings:

Braithwaite, John. “The Fundamentals of Restorative Justice.” In A Kind of Mending: Restorative Justice in the Pacific Islands. Edited by Sinclair Dinnen with Anita Jowitt and Tess Newton. ANU E Press, 2011. ISBN: 9781921666827. [Preview with Google Books]

Wenzel, Michael, Tyler G. Okimoto, et al. “Retributive and Restorative Justice.” Law and Human Behavior 32, no. 5 (2008): 375–89.

Gray (Kanatiiosh), Barbara, and Pat Lauderdale. “The Web of Justice: Restorative Justice Has Presented Only Part of the Story.” Wicazo Sa Review 21, no. 1 (2006): 29–41

Allais, Lucy. “Restorative Justice, Retributive Justice, and the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” Philosophy & Public Affairs 39, no. 4 (2011): 331–63.

Darrow, Clarence S. “Theory of Crime and Punishment.” Chapter 5 in Resist Not Evil. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015. ISBN: 9781522961826.

Adams, William Lee. “Norway Builds the World’s Most Humane Prison.” Time, May 10, 2010.

Zehr, Howard, with Ali Gohar. The Little Book of Restorative Justice. (PDF) Good Books, 2003.

Additional Readings

Compassion

O’Brien, Barbara. “Buddhism and Compassion.” July 9, 2018. Learn Religions.

Engel, Beverly. “What Is Compassion and How Can It Improve My Life?Psychology Today, April 29, 2008.

Lanahan, Erin. “5 Ways to Feel More Love and Compassion for Yourself and Others.” Tiny Buddha.

Neff, Kristin. “Why Self-Compassion Trumps Self-Esteem.” Greater Good Magazine, May 27, 2011. 

Brooks, David. “Two Cheers for Feminism!,” New York Times, October 11, 2018.

Ackerman, Courtney. “9 Self-Compassion Exercises & Worksheets for Increasing Compassion.” December 21, 2017. Positive Psychology.

Compassion: Historical and Spiritual-religious Views.” Wikipedia.

Patience

Patience.” Wikipedia.

Patience Quotes.” BrainyQuote.

How to Be Patient: Staying Calm Under Pressure.” MindTools.

Bernhard, Toni. “In Buddhism, Patience is an Act of Self-Compassion that Gives Rise to Equanimity.” November 6, 2013. Elephant Journal.

Padma. “Five Buddhist Techniques for Practising Patience.” July 31, 2012. My Buddhist Life.

Chödrön, Pema. “The Answer to Anger & Aggression is Patience.” March 1, 2005. Lion’s Roar: Buddhist Wisdom for Our Time.

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