Course Description

Many prisoners are passionate about questions of how we should live. They want to understand what led them to their current state and also discover a life worth living in and after incarceration. Their thoughts and experiences are foreign to most of us and they shine light on areas of our lives we largely don’t think about. By understanding them, we can learn to live better for ourselves and others.

Our purpose is to find new tools for improving ourselves by entering into the struggles of New Mexican prisoners to confront their choices. The course content reflects a novel multi-year experiment in New Mexico prisons to use a hybrid of philosophy, specifically ancient Greek and Roman Stoicism, and modern psychological research to initiate and guide that struggle. Stoicism teaches that if we wish to live well we must focus ourselves on controlling only that which is truly within our control - our choices - and align our choices with the virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. Psychological research supports the integrity of Stoic principles and practices, and research into best correctional practices demonstrates the promise of this hybrid for changing how incarcerated people choose.

Students will learn about the conditions of much criminal behavior, how corrections agencies can respond effectively, how to spot manipulation games, prison culture, and especially active listening and effective communicative practices with individuals resistant to change.

Students will become participants in the philosophical experiment itself, engaging in regular drills and role-playing exercises to familiarize themselves with how to effectively interact with those struggling to change. Students will learn how to effectively improve themselves using Stoic principles, psychological research, and lessons from best practices in working with criminal offenders, while also learning that one’s own personal pursuit of excellence is the most effective tool for building the kind of meaningful, authentic relationships that attract others to beneficial change.

Caution: students who have experienced harm and trauma as a result of crime may find portions of this course difficult and wish to consider other options.

Texts

Ward Farnsworth, The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User’s Manual (Godine: 2018)

Other short readings, YouTube videos, and podcast episodes will be required.

Requirements

Attendance

Class Participation

Active Listening Drills & Self-Evaluations: many classes will involve practicing and scoring active listening skills and ultimately learning how to engage others in ethical inquiry and self-confrontation; each drill is followed by a 50-100 word self-evaluation.

Reflection Papers: eight 200-300 word reflections on Stoic quotes

Final Dialogue and Self-Assessment: a conversation with the instructor as a role-player where students demonstrate their active listening and ethical inquiry skills, with a final self-evaluation of 750 words.

Good Life Essays: two papers (400 and 800 words) articulating your ideas about the good life.

Challenge Letter: a 750 word imaginary correspondence with an incarcerated person challenging them to think differently about their actions.

About the Instructor(s): Bob Robinson

Bob Robinson (PhD, Philosophy, Purdue University) had an unexpected career turn when he was invited to teach philosophy to maximum security inmates. Lured by the challenge of making philosophy practical, he taught philosophy and Stoicism for six years in New Mexico prisons, learned crisis negotiations, and provided research on best practices. Prior to joining UNM, he held the position of Reentry Programs Administrator, managing programs and opportunities throughout the state to increase post-release success.