Course Proposal: American Culture Wars

The blog staff, myself especially, have been pleased to receive information in the past few days about a new course proposal by Professor Shields of the Government Department. The course, titled "American Culture Wars," aims to examine issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and religion in the public square, and to

"explore the sources and origins of such divisions. For instance, do activists on the left and right really exist in two distinct cultures? What are the philosophical assumptions and beliefs that hold their various political opinions together? What is their view of the human person and how does it shape the way they see the world? Do they each offer equally rational ways of comprehending the world?"

I am impressed perusing the reading list for the course, which includes fare from Hadley Arkins, Peter Singer, Judith Jarvis Thompson, Pope Benedict XVI, C.S. Lewis, and many others. My only concern is the lack of reading materials for the topic "Abortion and Bioethics" that address emerging concerns in the latter area; works such as Embryo: A Defense of Human Life by Robert George and Chris Tollefsen, Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity: The Challenge for Bioethics by Leon Kass, or any of numerous articles by Dr. William Hurlbut of Stanford University might help shore up this section.

Nevertheless, this is an exciting development. An in-depth study of "culture war" issues is increasingly pressing, as doctors encourage patients to kill themselves in Oregon and presidential candidates strip newborn infants of legal protections. Best of luck to Professor Shields in getting the course approved; I for one will look forward to enrolling!