ABSTRACT
Contemporary educational culture can stifle open debate and rigorous argumentation. Identity politics often depends on a populist and fundamentally disempowering narrative of victimhood and oppression. At the core of these phenomena lies the unconscious acceptance and regurgitation of many assumptions, such as that change is, by definition, positive, or that power dynamics and hierarchies are by definition negative, or that one’s ideal view of the world is automatically shared and accepted by others, or that equality and freedom are good—without really having a thought-out rationale as to why these ideals are moral or political imperatives. Our intense 90-minute seminar takes participants out of their comfort zones by questioning their definitions and associations of key concepts (change, power, responsibility, listening), and probing and challenging the assumptions that lie behind their perspectives, which tend to obstruct students from reaching their full potential as thinkers and change-makers. The essay highlights the importance of empathy, listening, and engagement, not only as a means of gaining influence and exercising one’s own voice but also as foundations of humanity and social organization that can guarantee peaceful coexistence.
