Rethinking the Common Ground
Few people today would need more convincing that our world is on fire. Democracy is under attack around the world; fascism is on the increase. To our collective dismay, America, the bastion of democracy, has witnessed increasing calcification of ideas and opinions into often violent polarities that threaten not just democracy as a political process but also the humanistic foundations of our society. We could be consoled if this phenomenon was contained only within partisan politics. Whereas it is most pronounced in political juggling, it has seeped into nearly every facet of society, including the academy. As David Brooks rightly observed in his New York Times opinion column of Nov. 16, 2023, “Universities are supposed to be centers of inquiry and curiosity — places where people are tolerant of difference and learn about other points of view. Instead, too many have become brutalizing ideological war zones.”
Unsurprisingly, the degree to which society expresses intransigent polarities parallels the degree of the dearth of the humanities in academia. We acknowledge that we inhabit a world that is inclined to see and judge reality in stark Manichaean (us/them) categories. But universities exist, among other reasons, to provide ample alternatives to the reductionist mode of perception and valuation that structure social relations, and they multiply options so that we are better equipped to make informed judgments and decisions. Yes, America is a multiracial and multi-religious society: but we are not defined by our races, religions and any other markers of difference. It is a pluralistic society, but we are not frozen in our differences. We believe that there is more that binds than divides us.
Although we cannot change the world with a magic wand, we can initiate conversations about promoting and fostering better understanding in our immediate communities. This is precisely what this research seminar seeks to do. It takes to heart the charge that the humanities have an urgent and enduring responsibility toward restoring faith in our shared humanity. We, therefore, propose to begin conversations about how to promote the appreciation of the very things that bind us all. We welcome interdisciplinary projects, research works or creative activities, the goal of which is to transcend boundaries and enhance dialogue and understanding between peoples.
Some of the basic questions we seek to address include: How do we find common ground in our deeply polarized world? Can we ever find common values even as we hold on to our truths and beliefs? How, for instance, might interfaith dialogue enhance our mutual respect for every religion, and for non-religious? How do we deal with the world we share at a time of rising hate and fear of difference?
Ancillary to the above questions is: what does a flourishing society look like? How do we flourish with others? These questions are intentionally broad to allow for participants from various fields of study in the humanities and humanities-related social sciences. As such the operative terms will be: peace, human rights, forgiveness, reconciliation, overcoming difference, the art of dialogue, friendship, the virtues, humanity and complexity.
We welcome a variety of research and creative proposals in response to these or related questions, including projects that actively seek to undertake, or to model, the work of dialogue, reconciliation etc.
2024-25 Seminar Directors:
Chielo Eze, Professor of Africana Studies, will revise, and possibly reconceptualize his book project, Friendship as Politics: Nelson Mandela, Political Philosophy, and African Multiethnic Democracy. As a philosopher and cultural studies scholar, he seeks to explore the many ways in which the notion of friendship can become a kinetic force in inter-ethnic, inter-religious understanding in a multiracial society. He argues that this is possible because Nelson Mandela has successfully put it into practice.
The Greek word for friendship, philia, refers to relationships among fellow citizens in addition to the close personal relationships we recognize as friendships. In her project Allison Murphy, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, takes up the question of how we might think about friendship as a political category, drawing especially on Aristotle’s view that friendship involves a triadic structure linking individuals together in the shared pursuit of some good.
Faculty Fellows
In recent years, Palmar Álvarez-Blanco, Professor of Spanish, has delved into the study of the Commons from multiple perspectives: cultural, anthropological, historical, sociological, political, and economic. The overarching objective of the Commons as a global movement is to foster a transition toward a just and equitable society for the majority while ensuring the sustainability of life on our planet. This goal aspires to coordinate the efforts and strategies of many of the social collectives that Palmar has been researching. Her involvement in this seminar will contribute to crafting a chapter book elucidating the Commons’ understanding of the word “culture” and its manifestation
For his project, Kambiz GhaneaBassiri, Professor of Religion, aims to explore religious differences from a grassroots perspective. Leveraging Minnesota’s distinctive context—a predominantly white and Christian state with an active black Muslim minority—he intends to facilitate dialogues at Carleton among local political activists from diverse religious and racial backgrounds. These conversations will delve into the evolving landscape of American politics, considering the growing influence of non-Christian voices. By analyzing these interactions alongside colleagues in the seminar, GhaneaBassiri seeks to explore how religious diversity can be a valuable social asset rather than a mere political challenge.
Amna Khalid, Associate Professor of History, will use the faculty research seminar to further her scholarly work and reflect on teaching about conflict. She will complete a chapter on India’s Partition for her co-authored book in progress Perils of Purity: From Past Plagues to Today’s Cancel Culture. This chapter will focus on how discourses of purity were mobilized to exclude, brutalize and indeed exterminate the Other in what has been referred to as “a time of madness.” She is also offering a new course on Partition in fall 2024. In addition to the book chapter she will use her experience of teaching this course to write about pedagogical strategies for addressing “wicked problems.”
Yaron Klein, Associate Professor of Arabic, will conduct research tentatively titled, “Can We Still Discuss Controversial Topics in the Classroom? The case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” The events of October 7th and the war on Gaza created unprecedented levels of tensions and contentions on American campuses. Not only the boundaries of academic discourse were challenged, but also the very possibility of having meaningful discussions that go beyond binaries. Academia strives to provide a space for learning, rethinking, and challenging of ideas, yet, we are failing to create such a space in the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Can we find ways to discuss divisive topics, in which participants are open to hearing different positions, understanding multiplicity of narratives, in a way that will allow seeing complexities, as well as the humanity in the other? Reflecting on the mix of activism and research: is there a way of combining the two without resulting in reductionist and simplistic discussions? In this project Professor Klein wishes to examine these questions through a self-reflection study of a class he will teach on “the conflict”. He will reflect on class dynamics, identifying approaches and techniques that will prove themselves successful and those that won’t. He hopes to learn from His own experience and his students’ about the ways of creating a safe space for learning and growth.
Lori Pearson, Professor of Religion, will write an article on the theological and ontological frameworks that shaped Martin Luther King, Jr.’s concepts of love, reconciliation, and hope as transformative forces in human history and community. She will explore these themes as part of a larger project on debates about forgiveness, compromise, and justice in 20th-century American theology, with an eye to their continuing relevance for current efforts to address divisions in society while mobilizing communities to work together toward a shared and more just future.