This is going to be a disturbing week. Our topic covers various “denial” movements and their arguments. Our most prominent subject will be Holocaust Denial and its advocates. To understand it, we must have basic knowledge about the Holocaust and then plunge into the arguments, as nonsensical as they are, against the Holocaust having even occurred. Our material will be rough at times, but such is historical analysis of atrocities. For further background, read and review the Holocaust Denial resources at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Rational Wiki has a thorough outline of Holocaust denier arguments. Want to see actual Holocaust deniers in action? Try this long screed by “Bible Believers“.
Here is FYS short paper 3 Conspiracies. It is due Wednesday, October 23, at 8:00 am via email.
Friday in class we will have a deep advising session. Bring your questions. Linked here is a useful Wooster video to give you a refresher on using the advising system online. Note there is a series of these Wooster colleague self-service videos.
Here is an Example FYS Research Paper. Here is the Research Paper assignment (due December 6 by 8:00 am).
Nonsense in the News —
Here’s a short BBC video on the origin of the Illuminati conspiracy theories. This is probably the most popular set of conspiracies because it involves celebrities at several levels.
You’ve got to visit the ultra-nonsensical world of mudfossils. In just a few minutes you’ll learn that rocks are actually all parts of human and “titan” flesh. DNA-tested! Anatomist approved! Perfect material for our class, especially considering how popular this delusion is. Rocks were alive!
