Previously offered at Middlebury College and the Institute for Social Ecology
Course description:
Upon finding refuge in America, several German-Jewish philosophers sought to understand the terms fascism, authoritarianism and totalitarianism. They focused on morality, participation and subjectivity rather than the figure of the dictator. They asked if this could happen in America.
We will begin with a survey of contemporary debates and then read selections from Adorno and Horkheimer, Dialectic of Enlightenment (1947), Adorno, The Authoritarian Personality (1950), and Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951). We will conclude with Benjamin’s Thesis on the Philosophy of History (1940).
Duration:
8 week course, online
Next offered :
July 1 – August 19, 2026
Online:
Wednesdays 12:00-13:30 ET
12:00 Vermont / 17:00 London / 18:00 Berlin
Instructor:
This course can be taken for 3 credits through the Vermont State University at undergraduate and graduate level. Scholarships are available through VSAC.
Teachers: This graduate level course at 45 hours satisfies the new professional learning criteria of licensure. Connect us with your educational district and we will invoice them directly.
