Class 4 - Monsters Inc.
Welcome
Today, we’re going to think about monsters. We’ll start by exploring the Augustine text, and talking about the idea of the monstrous other. Then we’ll do a couple of short exercises to explore ideas of monstrosity and otherness in our own culture(s).
Check in
First, we’ll spend five minutes checking in to say hello!
Augustine
Your homework was to read the reading by Saint Augustine about otherness and monsters. I asked you the following questions. We’ll talk about these in groups, and then work through the text together.
- What are the sources from which Augustine has learned of the “monstrous races”, and how reliable does he think they are?
- In what ways is this divergence from what he calls “the natural norm” a religious or philosophical problem for him?
- What analogy does he use to suggest that this diversity, if it exists, might be natural?
- What is Augustine’s definition of “human”?
- What are the three possibilities Augustine offers for explaining these “monsters”? Are there other possibilities he doesn’t include, or that he rules out?
Dehumanisation
One thing that is striking about Augustine is how flexible he is when it comes to including others who are not like us within the human family. But often, we don’t do this. We have all kinds of words for people we don’t like that diminish their humanity. So we’re going to finish the first half of the session by watching this piece by David Livingstone Smith on dehumanisation.
You can watch the video here. And if you want to read more, you can read this article on Aeon.co.
Break!
Let’s have a tea break!
Monsters Inc: Writing and Thinking (and drawing)
Now, moving into the second half, here is the question we will be thinking about
Who are the monstrous others — both mythical and contemporary — in your own culture or society?
We’ll start with a writing and drawing exercise. I want you to think about any mythical monsters in your culture. What are the myths about monsters? What makes these monsters monstrous? Where do they come from? What threat or challenge (or opportunity) do they offer? Spend 15 minutes writing. Then I want us to share these traditional monsters from myth, first in groups, and then in the main group.
Monsters Inc Part 2: “Real” (but still imagined) Monsters
The second task here is more challenging. It’s to ask who the “monsters” are that are imagined within our own societies. In groups, I want you to discuss the following question:
- Who are the communities who are imagined as “monstrous” or “other” in your own society?
- How does the language of monstrousness (or similar language) contribute to their exclusion?
- Can you find any examples from the press or the media that reflect this
Be aware that this is a sensitive exercise, and it may be difficult either for you or your fellow students. Please be sensitive the ways in which you, or your fellow students, may also suffer from dehumanisation.
Homework
For your homework, I’m going to ask you to read chapter 2 of The Other by Kapuściński, ‘The Meaning of Difference.’
Think about these three turning points that Kapuściński talks about:
- a) the turning point of anthropologists;
- b) the turning point of Lévinas;
- c) the turning point of multiculturalism.
Do some research to explore any background that may help you understand the text, and to better understand what Kapuściński may be talking about when he discusses these three turning points.
We’ll talk about the text next week! But before then, making close reference to the original text, I want you to post to the discussion board a piece in response to this question:
What is the meaning of difference?
This is a graded task. The deadline is the end of the day before the next class.