The Art and Ethics of Communication (SNF Paideia Program Course)

1 Course Unit

Along with many advances in our country and world, we also face crises with inescapable ethical dimensions—threats to life and liberty, fairness and opportunity, privacy and security—where communication plays a key role. This creates an urgent need for us to understand both the art and the ethics of communication. How can we effectively communicate about controversies with conviction and understanding, rather than closed- mindedness and deception? What does it mean and it take to defend justice or a common good in polarized times? How can we respond productively to a crisis rather than to aggravate it and further upset ourselves? Although we come to this course from distinct backgrounds, we both resonate with Rumi: “Do not stray into the neighborhood of despair. For there are hopes: they are real, they exist.” And with Hillel: “What is hateful unto you, do not do unto your neighbor,” to which he added wise advice: “Now, go and study.” Our goal is to learn how and why to communicate effectively with insight and understanding across differences. The course pairs theoretical readings in political theory and communications with case studies. Everyone is expected to keep up with the readings and participate in class discussions. 1 Course Unit