 unwarranted assumptions that the students have knowledge prerequisite to the lecture.
An interdisciplinary course is a labor-intensive activity, requiring a great deal of advance planning, especially if a number of speakers are scheduled. Inadequate advance planning can severely jeopardize the quality of the course. Additionally, one individual should be charged with the principal responsibility for course coordination, even if an activist coordinating committee exists. Basic course logistics, continuity, and standards require such an approach.
On balance, the Georgetown course seemed very worthwhile. A number of students indicated that the course had provided fresh insights into other University course work.
Course: The High Frontier: Technology, Diplomacy, and Human Values
Instructor: T. Stephen Cheston
This interdisciplinary course is intended to explore the relevance of considerations drawn from the social sciences and the humanities to the development of technology, specifically, the industrial utilization of space. The course will consist of a series of lectures on different questions raised by the prospect of industrialization and colonization in space. These lectures will be given by specialists (see below) in physics, business, economics, philosophy, theology, history, government, and social psychology.
The issues to be covered include:
(1) an introduction to physical and technological possibilities and limitations for projected industrial activities in space;
(2) economic assessment of the project and business opportunities;
(3) the project as seen in relation to the American social and intellectual traditions and in relation to religious and political imagination;
(4) political constraints and international demands on the project; and
(5) problems of colonial society in space.
Other topics to be considered will be: the history of the U.S. space program, space law, and parallel experiences of colonization. While the course deals with possibilities presented by current technology, the methods of reflection used in the course will be mainly those characteristic of the humanities and the social sciences. After each section of the course, there will be a session for discussion of issues.
Lectures to be given by:
Dr. O'Leary, Physics Department, Princeton University
Dr. Matthews and Dr. Morelli, Physics Department, G.U.
Dr. Cheston, associate dean, G.U. Graduate School
Dr. Sieber, the Kennedy Institute
Dr. Tesar, School of Business Administration, G.U.
Dr. Ferkiss, Government Department, G.U.
Rev. Curran, S.J., History Department, G.U.
Rev. Murphy, S.J., German Department, G.U.
Rev. Langan, S.J., Woodstock Theological Center
Mr. von Puttkamer, Office of Space Flight, NASA
Mr. Michaud, State Department
Dr. Pinkard, Department of Philosophy, G.U.
Dr. Davids, History Department, G.U.
Course coordinator: Rev. John Langan, S.J. Woodstock Theological Center