Philosophy, Religion, Psychology, and Culture   

These eight sessions will be a breathless, breezy (and humble) trip through recent scholarly writing about the past several million years of human development. Session one will focus on Chimpanzees (“make war”). Session two will focus on Bonobos (“make love”). Sessions three and beyond will focus on humans and how we have changed in the past 8 million years. We will consider Boehm’s interesting claim that the modern homo sapiens who left Africa carried in their genes a way of living developed over a few thousand generations – egalitarian, calm, kind, caring, sharing – with no bosses and no beggars. Few if any current human societies are like that now. We will explore why.

Supplementing the readings and other scholars will be our fictional guides Eve (Adam’s wife) and Eos (the Greek goddess of the dawn) will be our fictional guides for observing the past 8-million years. Eos and Eve both refuse to regard as “progress” or “civilization” any social arrangement that fails to take good care of the needy (widows, orphans, infants, the sick and injured, the “other” – those that scholars call “the least advantaged”).

Survival of the Friendliest (2021) by Vanessa Woods and Brian Hare. $16 via Amazon (cheaper used copies often available).

Are you tired of the same old news coverage about crime, polarized communities and bitter national politics? Join veteran journalists Dennis Ryerson and Bob Steele in using different lenses to learn what’s going on in Colorado. This course will spotlight stories that take you around the Centennial State from the Four Corners to the Eastern plains, from the Western Slope to the San Luis Valley.

Bob and Dennis will highlight stories that celebrate diverse Coloradans and the land where they work and live. They will showcase well-reported stories from The Colorado Sun, Colorado Public Radio, community newspapers and local television that help explain complex issues or that reveal the creativity and human spirit of Colorado's people and communities.

Yes, these days there’s plenty of boring, repetitive news and little or no coverage of news that may matter more. This class explores good Colorado stories that might surprise you, and even make you laugh or cry.

Though humans share 99.9% of their genes, their individual beliefs, languages, values, tastes, and associations are vastly divergent. This course will examine how humans, although united by nature, divide and fall into conflict and frustration. It will also address how humans tap into their inherent strengths and are more likely to succeed in living well. Common Humanity is a multidisciplinary course involving history, biology, psychology, and anthropology. It explores the basic human forces of instinct, emotion, thought and habit that often determine why people and groups succeed and fail as they do.

No Class April 17

Enter the intricate world of the Talmud: the monumental classic that has defined Jewish learning for centuries. Join this six-week course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute to discover the Talmud, its history, authors, and significance—and experience it for yourself.

You'll learn the key terms, logical principles, and historical context required to decode every part of the Talmudic page. Plus, see how it became central to Jewish life and why it inspires fascination, debate, and study today.

NOTE: There is a text: Decoding the Talmud: Inside the Story, Substance, and Significance of the Book that Defines Judaism ; $27 will be added to the course to cover the book fee and shipping.

People often talk about “ethics” but the term is usually vague and unclear. This class will explore how various philosophers have analyzed ethics and how those ideas apply today. We will definitely bring up several ethical issues in class but it is important to note that this will not primarily be a “case study” course. It is a class designed to discuss different ways philosophers in history and today have thought about the issue of how we should live together on this planet. Discussion is encouraged in all classes.

Islam is once again in the news: A militant Islamic group, proposing a religiously-oriented government, is fighting for control of Syria. Few Muslims support these types of Islam. Similar to other religions, many types of Islam exist worldwide. The course describes today’s Islam highlighting commonalities and differences, including good and beautiful as well as harmful types.

Classes consist of summary presentations followed by discussions. Topics include history, the Qur’an and other books, values/beliefs and practices, cultural contributions from science to poetry to movies as well as today’s interesting reforming movements. Muslims often describe Islam through stories—therefore these are included.

Comments and questions are welcome. No readings are required. Recommendations will be suggested including readings, films, internet, and selections from my book: "An American Woman in the House of Sufi Islam". Please contact me if you have any questions, comments, or topics you would like to learn about.

Is the conspiracy theory, which seems to be a driving force in political misinformation just an example of political paranoia and irrationality? In recent years scholars in various fields have been trying to sort this out and move beyond a simple either/or answer. We will refer to some of these sources which articulate fascinating insights about our culture(s). The course will draw specifically on the work of Dannagal Goldthwaite Young, Professor of communication and political science at the University of Delaware. Her 2023 book, "Wrong: How Media, Politics and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation," documents numerous recent empirical studies on misinformation, identity, media and partisanship to show the long term trends that have brought us to this point, while also considering newer developments in the last few years.

Recommended: Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation by Dannagal Goldthwaite Young, 2023

This class is part of the broader series "10 Centuries of Music," exploring how music, culture, history, and social structures intertwine across a millennium. This installment covers music from the 19th century to the present, with earlier periods planned for future semesters.

Participants will experience music from the 19th century onward, reflecting on its cultural, historical, and social significance. We will explore the Romantic Era, early modernism, jazz, blues, popular music, and contemporary compositions of the 21st century.

Our journey includes classical icons like Ludwig van Beethoven, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, and Aaron Copland, alongside jazz pioneers such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis. We will examine how these musical forms both shaped and responded to societal changes.

While earlier music can seem distant, the dynamic musical landscape of the past two centuries still resonates today. Thoughtfully selected pieces and historical context will deepen your understanding of modern cultural history.

By exploring music's cultural fabric, we uncover unique reflections of ourselves and our shared past in meaningful ways.

This OLLI course explores the concept of the Trinity across religious, cultural, and scientific perspectives, uncovering shared themes in spiritual, philosophical, and scientific thought. Participants examine divine triads in Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, focusing on how these traditions define relationships among the divine, creation, and existence. The course also explores trinitarian-like frameworks in The Urantia Papers, emphasizing material, cosmic, and spiritual dimensions, alongside parallels in modern scientific theories like quantum mechanics and string theory.

The course centers on humanity's enduring quest to understand reality's ultimate nature and the universe's origins. Through comparative study, open discussion, and reflective inquiry, participants engage with diverse traditions and scientific models. By examining how a triune reality appears across spiritual, philosophical, and scientific contexts, the course inspires deeper understanding of humanity's search for meaning, connection, and truth.