HIST 119(S) Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?: Ideas about Evil and Misfortune in the Traditional West

The problem of evil has always inspired profound speculation. For people of Western Europe, the injustices and tragedies of human life challenge traditional religious teaching that a good and kind God controls every event. This course will explore the various ways in which people have attempted to solve this problem and will use writings that range from the Book of Job to philosophical speculation, historical writing, and fiction. We will focus on such issues as: human worth and responsibility, the nature of divine control over the world, meaning of historical event, and the role of hope and consolation in human speculation. These issues will provide an introduction to the history of Western thought and will survey the formation of the Western world view. Reading and discussion format. Evaluation will be based on class attendance and participation and four short (5-7 pages) papers. Enrollment limited. Preference to first-year students.

Hour:  BERETZ