I. ASCRC General Education Form
Group
VIII Ethics and Human Values
Dept/Program
History
Course #
Course Title
Prerequisite
History 226
Terrorism from the French Revolution to Today
None
Credits
3
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Instructor
Richard Drake
9/05/08
Phone / Email
243-2981
Program Chair
Richard Drake
Dean
Jerry Fetz
III. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory
and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm
In its annual edition of Country Reports on Terrorism, the United States Department of State
acknowledges that “No one definition of terrorism has gained universal acceptance.” The term
poses serious semantic difficulties. Terrorism is generally held to be political violence that is
illegitimate, but what confers legitimacy on some acts of political violence and illegitimacy on
others? Is terrorism simply the name we give to violence we do not like or support, while
finding euphemisms, such as “counterterrorism,” for the violence we do like or support? This is
the morally problematic approach that I take throughout the course, beginning with the 17931794 Reign of Terror in France and ending with the major episodes of contemporary terrorism
in both its state and group forms.
IV. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
History is teaching by examples, and this
process includes the teaching of ethics. There is
no better laboratory for testing the actual
consequences of ethical ideas than history.
Every terrorist we discuss in History 226 begins
with a vision of the world and human nature,
invariably derived from “men of ideas,” to use
Eric Hoffer’s helpful phrase in The True
Believer, one of the classic works on fanaticism
that we study in the course. I present terrorism
as a process involving the germination of
philosophical ideas and their transformation by
“men of action.” I think that, in conformity with
criterion #2 for Group VIII courses, we provide
a rigorous and concrete analysis of some of the
basic concepts and forms of reasoning that
define the major traditions of political violence
in modern history.
V. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
Through a close reading of primary source texts
and films, students have the opportunity to
analyze and critically evaluate some of the basic
concepts and forms of reasoning that historically
have justified terrorism. In the process of
examining concrete examples of terrorism
throughout modern history, the students have the
further opportunity to formulate conceptions
about their own ethical beliefs. I have designed
the course with this ethical dimension,
conceived in personal terms for the students, in
mind.
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
See syllabus
*Please note: As an instructor of a general education course, you will be expected to provide
sample assessment items and corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.