Conversation 2013 | ��app

About the Conversation

War and peace are among the most critical issues a society faces—but also among the most complex. Nearly every academic discipline connects in important ways with these issues. To really understand them and address them adequately takes the kind of holistic approach offered by a liberal arts education.

We were privileged to have Michael Walzer as the lead catalyst for our conversations. No one has been more influential in Just War thinking in the past several decades, and as part philosopher, part political scientist and part historian, Professor Walzer embodies the interdisciplinarity so important in addressing war and peace well.Â The disciplines and backgrounds represented by our other outstanding speakers (Duncan Morrow, Helen Frowe, Sherman Jackson, Chris Eberle and Gerald Mast) further ensured the breadth of perspective so essential to these topics.

Of course our speakers were just the start. All of the Conversation's participants had important contributions to make. In the 40 or so papers presented at concurrent sessions, we learned from scholars in a variety of fields, but also from those involved in peacemaking efforts on the ground, and from those with insight into curricular structures and pedagogical strategies for effective teaching about war and peace.

2013 Conversation Planning Committee:

Christian Hoeckley-- director, Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts

Jesse Covington-- assistant professor of political science

Deborah Dunn-- professor of communication studies

Heather Keaney-- associate professor of history

Tom Knecht-- associate professor of political science

Mark Nelson-- Monroe Professor of Philosophy

Program