Moderator: Joan Wofford
Role of participants: Participants will be asked to read Sarah Chayes’ Thieves of State, to research systemic corruption in a country of their choice, and to examine the warnings about corruption in medieval theories of Islamic and Western thinkers; some developed in Syria in the 12th century. (The Sea of Precious Virtues).
Number of participants (including the moderator): 15
Time: Thursdays, 9:30–11:30 am
Place: Lathrop Communities, 1 Shallowbrook Lane (off Bridge Road), Northampton
Parking: Ample parking on site
An exploration of the thesis advanced by Sarah Chayes that, unrecognized by Americans, systemic governmental corruption is a source of terrorism and simultaneously a source of extremist religious responses designed to counter corruption.
We will examine corruption in contemporary countries and in the theories of medieval scholars, attempting to understand why the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff calls corruption an “insidious force that is causing the most dangerous challenges our world is facing”. Participants will be asked to read Thieves of State, to research systemic corruption in a country of their choice, and to examine the warnings about corruption in medieval theories of Islamic and Western thinkers–some developed in Syria in the 12th century.
Format: Seminar
Resources: Sarah Chayes, Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security
The Moderator: Joan Wofford has led at least a dozen LIR seminars, frequently addressing less well-known countries or phases of history.