Course: Science of Nonviolence
Nonviolence is a timeless phenomenon that requires interpretations for each age. For our age, in particular, many people still feel that if something is not “scientific” (logical and amenable to experimental verification) it is not real. Fortunately, nonviolence is completely scientific, as Gandhi recognized, and the more science advances, the more it bears witness, from its own perspective, on the power and potential of this overlooked capacity.
This course will illustrate the compatibility of nonviolence—its nature, history, and theory— with imaginative but rigorous scientific research, and will also address the anti-democratic politicizations of science and how nonviolence fits into this story. As the course unfolds, in our work as a group and each individually, we will weave Gandhi’s autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, with select scientific findings that illustrate certain critical and eminently practical aspects of nonviolence, bringing to bear both the ancient art of nonviolence with the modern temper of science.
Participants will find support to deepen their understanding of and commitment to the creative power of nonviolence for the enrichment of their spiritual development, relationships with others, and engagement in society at large, including addressing social and political controversies around science and democracy. Much more than an intellectual exercise (though a fascinating one) the more we understand nonviolence, the more it will help us discover and engage in the purpose of our life.
Details:
Facilitators: Metta’s founder, Michael Nagler, and executive director, Stephanie Van Hook, will co-facilitate the weekly discussions.
Where: Zoom, online
When: Fridays March 11, March 18, March 25, April 1, April 8, and April 15 from 10-11:30 am Pacific
Cost: This course is operating on a gift-economy basis, with a suggested donation of $200 for six weeks. All gifts to the Metta Center are tax-deductible. Donate here.
Required course resources: Gandhi’s autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, and a personal journal for reflection. (We have a nice one at our bookstore!) We will provide other reading resources and studies via pdf and links.
Successful completion of this course will count as 3 credits toward our 2022 Certificate Program in Nonviolence Studies.
