FYS 195 Radical Lives: Models of Subversion
Why do some people dedicate their lives completely to a cause? How can two people interpret radical dedication to the same cause so differently? Why is some resistance to power peaceful and some violent? This course examines these questions and others about radicalization and subversion by comparing the lives of Ernesto “Che” Guevara – a leading commander in the Cuban Revolution - and Ernesto Cardenal – a revolutionary poet-priest from Nicaragua. This course will feature primary research into the lives of Guevara and Cardenal, participation in a contemplative retreat modeled on Cardenal’s experience, and first-hand encounters with social situations similar to those that inspired Guevara.