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John Wall
Distinguished Professor
Philosophy and Religion, and Childhood Studies, Rutgers University
Founder and Co-Director of the Childism Institute
Co-Founder of the Children's Voting Colloquium
Courses Regularly Taught
Children's Rights
Graduate Course, Department of Childhood Studies, Rutgers University Camden.
This course introduces students to the field of study of critical children’s rights. This field examines children’s rights, not just as established principles only needing implementation, but as contested expressions of children’s lived experiences within diverse normative, social, cultural, and historical contexts. To this end, the course examines a range of ways that children’s rights can be theorized, how children’s rights both reflect and challenge assumed conceptions of human rights, how children’s rights to protection and provision interact with rights to participation and power, what roles children have and should have in defining rights for themselves, and how children’s rights are tied up with issues of globalization, cultural difference, systemic marginalization, and intersectionality. Students will leave the course with a solid grounding in critical children’s rights research and an understanding of the complex questions involved in understanding what children’s rights are and could be.
This course introduces students to the field of study of critical children’s rights. This field examines children’s rights, not just as established principles only needing implementation, but as contested expressions of children’s lived experiences within diverse normative, social, cultural, and historical contexts. To this end, the course examines a range of ways that children’s rights can be theorized, how children’s rights both reflect and challenge assumed conceptions of human rights, how children’s rights to protection and provision interact with rights to participation and power, what roles children have and should have in defining rights for themselves, and how children’s rights are tied up with issues of globalization, cultural difference, systemic marginalization, and intersectionality. Students will leave the course with a solid grounding in critical children’s rights research and an understanding of the complex questions involved in understanding what children’s rights are and could be.
Evil
Graduate and Undergraduate Course, Masters in Liberal Studies and Department of Philosophy and Religion, Rutgers University Camden.
This course examines the nature and meaning of evil, particularly moral evil as visited upon human beings by one another. Through close readings and discussions of a range of philosophical, religious, literary, and political texts, students pursue the following kinds of fundamental questions: Is there such a thing as “evil”? What does it mean that humanity might be capable of it? Is evil a characteristic of only some or of all people? What kind of language could make evil available to understanding? Is evil in the world compatible with the existence of a good God or Creator? How can the difference be judged between evil and good? Is the concept of evil outdated, or is it still useful today for understanding phenomena such as racism, sexism, the climate emergency, genocide, terrorism, greed, violence, abuse, inequality, and poverty?
This course examines the nature and meaning of evil, particularly moral evil as visited upon human beings by one another. Through close readings and discussions of a range of philosophical, religious, literary, and political texts, students pursue the following kinds of fundamental questions: Is there such a thing as “evil”? What does it mean that humanity might be capable of it? Is evil a characteristic of only some or of all people? What kind of language could make evil available to understanding? Is evil in the world compatible with the existence of a good God or Creator? How can the difference be judged between evil and good? Is the concept of evil outdated, or is it still useful today for understanding phenomena such as racism, sexism, the climate emergency, genocide, terrorism, greed, violence, abuse, inequality, and poverty?
Philosophical and Religious Perspectives on Childhood
Undergraduate Course, Departments of Philosophy and Religion and Childhood Studies, Rutgers University Camden.
This course explores the complex diversity of philosophical and religious approaches to the meaning of childhood. It is often assumed that children’s lives are universal and simple to understand, but in fact they are diverse, highly complex, and differently interpreted. The first half of the course critically examines a range of the most influential philosophical and religious writings on childhood from history. It looks into different ideas that have been held about such things as the nature of childhood, the agency of children, and responsibilities to and of children. The second half of the course explores in depth one contemporary issue, namely the nature of children’s rights. Within this issue, various questions are raised such as about whether children have special rights, deserve to be treated as political beings, and should be able to vote. By combining historical and contemporary perspectives, students gain critical tools for thinking complexly about childhoods.
This course explores the complex diversity of philosophical and religious approaches to the meaning of childhood. It is often assumed that children’s lives are universal and simple to understand, but in fact they are diverse, highly complex, and differently interpreted. The first half of the course critically examines a range of the most influential philosophical and religious writings on childhood from history. It looks into different ideas that have been held about such things as the nature of childhood, the agency of children, and responsibilities to and of children. The second half of the course explores in depth one contemporary issue, namely the nature of children’s rights. Within this issue, various questions are raised such as about whether children have special rights, deserve to be treated as political beings, and should be able to vote. By combining historical and contemporary perspectives, students gain critical tools for thinking complexly about childhoods.
The Bible as Literature
Graduate Course, Masters in Liberal Studies Program, Rutgers University Camden.
This course examines the historical, literary, and contemporary worlds of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and New Testament. These rich and controversial writings have profoundly influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as worldwide culture and thought for thousands of years. And they continue to inspire, challenge, and trouble people today. We discuss who wrote the Bible, its social and political contexts, different ways to think about reading it, its meanings and functions as literature, possible interpretations for the twenty-first century, and core themes such as God, creation, evil, covenant, prophesy, justice, and love. Students will leave the course with a complex understanding of what one twentieth century theologian called “the strange world of the Bible.”
This course examines the historical, literary, and contemporary worlds of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and New Testament. These rich and controversial writings have profoundly influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as worldwide culture and thought for thousands of years. And they continue to inspire, challenge, and trouble people today. We discuss who wrote the Bible, its social and political contexts, different ways to think about reading it, its meanings and functions as literature, possible interpretations for the twenty-first century, and core themes such as God, creation, evil, covenant, prophesy, justice, and love. Students will leave the course with a complex understanding of what one twentieth century theologian called “the strange world of the Bible.”
Debating Ethical Issues Across Disciplines
Undergraduate Course, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Rutgers University Camden.
This course trains students in ethical reasoning and argumentation through both the study of ethics as a discipline and the practice of ethical debate in an ethics bowl competition. Students gain not only an understanding of ethical ideas and argumentation, but also skills in constructing arguments, oral communication, close reading, community outreach, and event organization. In the first third of the course, students will gain a grounding in ethical theory and how it relates to ethical practice. In the second third, with the aid of the instructors, students will develop and organize a college-wide ethics bowl, which is a competition between teams of students who debate specific ethical cases. In the final third of the course, students will form their teams for the ethics bowl and practice for the competition in April.
This course trains students in ethical reasoning and argumentation through both the study of ethics as a discipline and the practice of ethical debate in an ethics bowl competition. Students gain not only an understanding of ethical ideas and argumentation, but also skills in constructing arguments, oral communication, close reading, community outreach, and event organization. In the first third of the course, students will gain a grounding in ethical theory and how it relates to ethical practice. In the second third, with the aid of the instructors, students will develop and organize a college-wide ethics bowl, which is a competition between teams of students who debate specific ethical cases. In the final third of the course, students will form their teams for the ethics bowl and practice for the competition in April.
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