Social Thought and Issues   

Adaptability, a natural, lifelong process, is life’s master skill — from the way a tree bends in the wind to the way humans reinvent themselves through change. In this course we explore how all living things adapt, how adaptability evolves across the lifespan, how creativity and resilience fuel adaptability and how we can consciously cultivate it as an art form for lifelong wellbeing physically, mentally and emotionally. We will learn from nature, psychology, and one another, examine our ability to adjust to change, recover from challenges, and, through classroom lectures, discussions, and interactive exercises, find innovative ways forward while practicing resilience and creativity. 

Through discussion, some lecturing and recommended readings we will try to refine our complex and often inconsistent relationships with animals. Why do we love some, hate some and eat others? We will explore evolutionary psychology, speciesism, the influence of our cultural heritage and increasing knowledge of animal capabilities to help us clarify our personal attitudes towards the animals with which we share our planet. 

Infrastructures, often celebrated as symbols of modernity and national progress, are political. They tell stories about our aspirations, identities and what we collectively value in our societies. The course explores how big infrastructure projects from America’s Interstate Highway System to China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan reshape lives and displace communities. Through brief readings and engaging conversations, we will discuss the risks and rewards of “development” while connecting with familiar local histories such as Boston’s Big Dig and Interstate 81. Together, we will reassess development goals by critically evaluating development discourses around large infrastructure projects. 

“Know your nature. Know your strength. Know who you are — and be that.” - Prem Rawat 

The Peace Education Program (PEP) supports this discovery, of gaining access to one’s own inner strengths and resources, so this knowledge of self may be recognized. This 6-week course, featuring a media-based peace education program created by The Prem Rawat Foundation, allows you to discover your inner resources such as peace, appreciation, inner strength, self-awareness, choice, hope, and contentment, among others. Using provided digital workbooks, the facilitators involve participants with insightful talks, activities, and meaningful interactions that explore the theme of personal peace through a process of self-discovery. 

What is liberation theology? Why is it controversial? This course explores this combination of spirituality and social activism, which is centered on the belief that one cannot separate religious faith from the struggle for a just society. We will examine the history of this belief system, a case study showing its impact on social movements in Brazil, and debates about it. The last include the question of whether it is dying or is still relevant and whether it is more Marxist than religious. Except for some informational presentations, the course will be interactive. 

This five-week course explores Islam both as a faith tradition and as a political-civilizational order. It seeks to bridge understanding between cultural perceptions and theological realities. The course examines Islam’s spiritual foundations, moral vision, and institutional expressions in governance—from the early Caliphate to contemporary Muslim societies. It also addresses how Islamic ideas have interacted with colonialism, modernity, secularism, and democracy. Students will critically engage primary sources, scholarly interpretations, and contemporary debates about Islam’s role in the modern world. 

What does it mean to do the right thing? How do we weigh individual freedom against the common good? And why do moral questions—about fairness, equality, and responsibility—stir such passionate disagreement? In this lively 5-week interactive discussion course, inspired by Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel’s acclaimed Justice series, participants will explore some of the most important moral and political questions of our time. Each session features a video lecture from Sandel along with guided questions and reflections. No prior philosophy experience needed—just curiosity, an open mind, and a willingness to wrestle with the hard questions of moral choice. 

Whether we spend hours online or rarely touch social media, we all live in a world shaped by it. News, friendships, politics, even our ideas of truth and beauty are influenced by digital platforms and artificial intelligence. This course explores how technology is changing the way we think, trust, connect, and disconnect. Through stories, reflection, and open discussion, we’ll consider what it means to live meaningfully in a time when so much of life is filtered through screens and algorithms. 

The contemporary world has seen renewed and sharpened contests between competing (although sometimes overlapping) political worldviews; authoritarianism, democracy, liberalism, conservatism, social democracy, communism, fascism, and nationalism. This course will try to better understand the underlying philosophical ideas of these ideologies by considering the thought of such figures as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Mill, Marx, Bernstein, Lenin, Schmitt and Arendt. The lectures and class discussions will assume no outside class reading, but relevant readings will be suggested. The goal of the course is not to persuade anyone to endorse or reject any view, but rather to explore what can be said for or against it in order to deepen our understanding of the position.