The Problem of Evil
Fall 2020
Taught By: Terri Gordon
Section: A
CRN: 8791
Credits: 3
In The City of God, Saint Augustine confronts a central problem: How did evil come into the world if human beings were created good? In this course, we explore the question of evil through a study of texts ranging from biblical to modern. With Dostoevsky and Kafka, we travel on the dark side of life, examining crime, transgression, and nightmarish systems. We explore a number of theoretical perspectives, from Augustine’s notion of the "evil will" to Nietzsche’s standpoint "beyond good and evil" to Arendt’s thesis of the "banality of evil." Through our study of the ethical universe of literary texts, we engage with questions essential to humanity, including the nature of human beings, the basis for moral conventions, individual and collective responsibility, goodness versus happiness, and guilt, forgiveness, and redemption.
College: Schools of Public Engagement (NS)
Department: Humanities (NHUM)
Campus: Online (DL)
Course Format: Seminar (R)
Max Enrollment: 20
Add/Drop Deadline: September 14, 2020 (Monday)
Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 22, 2020 (Sunday)
Seats Available: No
Status: Closed*
* Status information is updated every five minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 8:45am 2/27/2021 EST