Seite - 137 - in Reflective Cosmopolitanism - Educating towards inclusive communities through Philosophical Enquiry

IN AND OUT THE PARk (MANUAL) 137 Exercise: What would happen if… Imagine you and the other students in your school have the opportunity to use a theme park for one afternoon. The rides are all great, but three of them are fantas- tic. Of course, everyone wants to have a ride on these ones. Since there are no rules about who uses the rides and when, and since adults aren’t allowed to enter (there are only the workers, but they are too busy, so you won’t have the possibility of en- gaging their help), you must manage the use of every ride on your own. What do you think will happen? Will there be any abuse of power? Will you succeed in using all the rides? If so, how would that be possible and why? If not, why not? Write a brief essay about what you imagine could happen on this special day in a theme park. Leading Idea 2: Violence In the story, there are several episodes of violence, from the teacher’s behavior to the protagonists’ reaction when they have to face the group of teenagers in the park. Gener- ally, violence is identified with physical strength, but actually it can be manifested in sev- eral ways. For example, violence is committed whenever someone’s dignity is violated, or someone forces a person to do something against his/her will through manipulative behavior. Also, violence is committed when a person is used as a means to an end. It would be interesting to explore with your students how violence is expressed, if there are different levels of violence, and if in some cases violence can be justified. For example, can we justify a violent reaction to defend against an aggression? Can we justify a violent reaction after an insulting offence? You can find further information about the concept of “violence” in the manual to Chris- tian, episode 4. Discussion Plan: Violence 1. If I punch someone because he or she punched me, is this an act of violence? 2. Is self-defense an act of violence? 3. If I insult somebody, is this an act of violence? 4. If my classmates make fun of me, are they performing an act of violence? 5. Could quarrelling be a form of violence? If so, in what situation would quarrel- ling be a form of violence? 6. If I have never beaten anybody, does that mean that I am a non-violent person? 7. Are there any cases when violence is justified? 8. If I don’t pay attention to others’ needs, is this an act of violence ? 9. If I offer ham to an Islamic person who cannot eat it because of his or her religion, is this an act of violence? 10. Is violence only physical, or can it be non-physical? 11. Is physical violence in any way “worse” than non-physical violence? 12. What is considered an act of violence?