Introduction: A Century of Hell

The Twentieth Century was a century of Hell — two world wars; civil wars; fascist and communist dictatorships and myriad other tyrannies; genocide, xenophobia, populist hysteria, assassinations, and terrorism. I define the Twentieth Century as the period between July 28, 1914 (the outbreak of World War I) and September 11, 2001 (the terrorist attacks on the United States). We will explore this era by focusing on four themes: 1) the experience of Hell; 2) the contending theories of Hell's origins; 3) the moral implications of Hell; and finally, 4) the problem of reckoning with Hell. To address these themes, we will draw upon ten widely recognized images of Hell. These images are: World War I; the Holocaust; existentialism; tyranny and madness; Stalinism; technology; moral condemnation; utilitarianism and nihilism; terrorism; and genocide.

I have four goals in this course.

To introduce you to a fascinating and disturbing period in the history and politics of the modern world.

To familiarize you with four key concepts in the study of politics: description; explanation; analysis; and prescription.

To develop your skills of reading, writing, speaking, and arguing.

To prepare you to be leaders. Leadership is nothing more than the art of persuasion. All of your assignments will reflect this goal.

This is a demanding course. You must keep up with all of your assignments to avoid being left behind. Because this is a seminar, participation is mandatory. I will expect each of you to be a full participant in everything we do.

This Web site is the authoritative syllabus for the seminar. I will modify it as we move along. Accordingly, you must consult it regularly throughout the semester. You should not count on me notifying you every time I make a change in reading assignments or in our schedule.

NOTE: Please do not use electronic devices in our classroom, including laptops, cell phones, and personal digital devices.

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