The Righteous Mind Seminar

PRESS RELEASE (12-21-2023)
JOHN DEVILLE

Franklin High School social studies teacher has been teaching American History, government, and philosophy for the past 28 years come this January. He was the 2006 - 2007 Macon County Teacher of the Year  And for the past five years, he has been leading adult seminars on similar topics.

When budget cuts entailed his philosophy class being set aside for a few years, deVille decided that if he wanted to really teach philosophy, he could. All he had to do was to get the word out, rework his curriculum, modify his teaching style a bit, and the students would be there, though this time with advanced degrees and plenty of gray hair. 

"We started meeting in the back room of the Lazy Hiker, which was so gracious to allow us the use of their space", said deVille. 

"We got together every other Wednesday, grabbed a beer, and discussed the reading I had assigned that week."

"The give and take with adults is just fantastic", he said. "They bring such diverse life experiences and perspectives to the material. " "What is most fun for me is that we are all reading the same material but various seminar participants will always catch something that the rest of us missed or they will have a unique take on the content. The saying that "if you really want to master material, then try to teach it. " That practice forces you to do a close reading of the material for preparation. And once we moved on to historical content, I found myself creating huge Google Docs with my notes, maps, and other illustrations."

"The adult seminar is a room full of people with high expectations -- they really want the most out of their two hour commitment. So, really digging into the material so I can have something of value to present beyond the superficial stretches me. And the more recent books we have done cover material outside what I have typically taught in the high school setting, so with these recent books we are learning together. I'm simply facilitating discussion, asking for clarification and expansion, and, when I can, providing context."

Jonathan Haidt's "The Righteous Mind", will be both a departure and a return for the adult seminar. A departure in the sense that after the first seminar in early 2019, the seminar has focused on history and now we return to the group's roots -- a philosophical discussion as to the roots of our current political polarization. 

It is my hope that this version of the seminar will accomplish two things:

(1) To understand why, in Haidt's words, "good people are separated by politics and religion."

(2) How we might look to bridge those divides where we can in our communities, to look for common ground, to look for opportunities to heal, and to be as constructive as we can going forward. 

The seminar meets online on the Zoom platform, every other Wednesday, starting January 10th, 7pm to 9pm. There is no charge for the seminar  -- your only cost is the purchase of the book, your time, and an open mind. 

Interested participants can sign up at tinyurl.com/righteousmindseminar.