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Idealism and Humanity

Teacher: Paul Gierlach

(Read more about his biography here)

Dates for 4 week course:
March 1 to March 26, 2027

Times for Live Sessions:  Monday through Thursday, Starting at 9:15am MT (which is 11:15am ET and 8:15am PT). On Friday at 9:15am MT there will be student group meetings. Each live session lasts between 50 and 70 minutes.

Course Description

History shows us that being a human being is not so simple. For more than five millennia, we have been trying to strike a balance between the singular needs of an individual and the hosts of other unique individuals that we meet on our life’s journey. As an individual, a person needs to know how to control behavior and direct activities. This individual has ideals that act as a guide. On the other hand, definite rules of behavior can come from the spheres of activity that are crucial in any society: political, cultural, and economic. These definite rules of behavior are also ideals, but of a different sort. In the social sense, our lives are daily conversations, perhaps confrontations, between our own ideals and those of others.

 
In this block, the students will meet in small groups and quite consciously attempt to create a workable society that not just nurtures their ideals and needs, but also creates a living environment for themselves and others. As individuals, they need only be true to themselves as they see themselves at this moment; as members of a society, they need to grapple with the essential elements of any society: laws, cultural identity, and what we call economics. At the end of the block, each group will give a presentation on the society they have created.
 

Note: There are limited spots in this class, your student may be waitlisted if the enrollment is high.

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