9418 - Politics and Fear in Panem
Course Description
Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games trilogy provides an extended treatment of fear as it applies to both political and ethical questions. For example, is fear a legitimate source of power and/or an effective way to maintain control? In the presence of fear, are one’s actions limited by an understanding of right and wrong? In this course, we will address questions such as these through a close analysis of the trilogy. Our reading of The Hunger Games will be informed by the philosophies of such thinkers as Aristotle, Hobbes, Machiavelli, Rousseau, and Tolkien.
Learner Outcomes
Following completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Identify the major concepts presented by the different philosophers read.
- Distinguish between the concepts of the different philosophers and compare the similarities and differences.
- Evaluate the applicability of the different philosophers’ concepts to the assigned reading from The Hunger Games series.
Notes
For RISD Students:
RISD Continuing Education (CE) credit is treated as transfer credit by RISD’s undergraduate degree programs. If approved, satisfactory completion of this course with a ‘C’ or better can count as 3 transfer credits toward History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences (HPSS) or Literary Arts and Studies (LAS) elective requirements. Complete the Prior Approval for Liberal Arts Credit form in etrieve before completing the online course registration.
Students from institutions other than RISD:
Students seeking academic credits are urged to contact their home institution to arrange prior approval before registering. Policies on transfer credit vary by institution and by program, and it is at the discretion of your home institution to determine what credits it will accept and how they might meet individual academic requirements.
For additional information about RISD Summer Intensives and Transfer Credit Policies, visit our webpage.
Prerequisites
Students must be an adult age 18 or older to participate.