This interdisciplinary lecture course explores the changing nature of slavery throughout the globe from 10,000 BCE to the present. It investigates the economics of why businesses choose to use slaves instead of other forms of labor and examines why governments do not always outlaw slavery or enforce anti-slavery laws. It also surveys the sociological and psychological effects of slavery on both enslavers and enslaved and it considers ways of reducing the number of enslaved persons today.
This study course travels Northern India. Students study the Ramayana and the Bhavagad Gita as foundation texts. Students are introduced to Indian music, performing artists, and the tradition of yoga. Students study Hinduism on the banks of the Ganges and Buddhism under the branches of the Bodhi Tree. The course begins in Delhi, India’s capital city, and continues to Agra, Bodhgaya, Varanasi, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Haridwar. At each site students explore literature, history, culture, and music that express the truths of the religious traditions.