Philosophy Walk: On Civil Disobedience
July 26 @ 9:30 am – 12:30 pm MDT
What We’ll Explore
“If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth,—certainly the machine will wear out. If the injustice has a spring, or a pulley, or a rope, or a crank, exclusively for itself, then perhaps you may consider whether the remedy will not be worse than the evil; but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine.” (Henry David Thoreau)
In Thoreau’s essay Civil Disobedience, Thoreau takes the position that unjust laws exist. But does that mean we should be content to obey them? What are the alternatives? Amend them and obey until we have succeeded? Transgress them at once?
In this walk led by community philosopher Mitch Conway we’ll explore how we might respond to the world in cases of injustice asking: When do the unjust actions of a government make one “the agent of injustice to another”? When is civil disobedience the necessary, just course of action? And when is one justified in hoping, “perchance it will wear smooth”?
When
Saturday, July 26th from 9:30am-12:30pm
(Please arrive 10 minutes prior to our walk start time to give yourself time to get ready to stroll.)
RSVP
Cost
FREE (Donations Appreciated)
Other
Wear weather appropriate attire & comfortable shoes. Dogs are allowed on this trail but need to be on leashes. We recommend that you also bring or wear bug repellent.
Where
Missouri River Beaver Creek Trail (Hauser Dam Trail)
Directions/Parking/Meeting Spot: From Helena, head toward Lake Helena via the I-15 & East Lincoln Road or Highway 287 & Lake Helena Drive. Once at Lake Helena, head north on Hauser Dam Road. Just before the dam crossing, there will be a small lot off to the left side (parking is free). If there are no spots available in the lot, cars will frequently parallel park along the road closer to the dam crossing (where there is also a restroom and some signage). Our group will meet in the lot. From there, we’ll walk across the dam as a group and begin our walk. The trail follows the Missouri River until Beaver Creek Recreation Area (where some restrooms are located). It’s well-maintained but can get rocky and a little uneven in various locations so make sure to wear good shoes.
Walk Leader
Mitchell Conway is a Community Philosopher at Merlin CCC, a branch facilitator/educator at Cottonwood ALC, and serves on the Academic Advisory Board & Questions? Journal for The Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization.
A student of philosophy, a theater maker, and a teacher who cares ardently about empowering young learners, his work has often been an interweaving of education, story, and inquiry. At the BIRD Theatre in Tottori, Japan, among other productions, he collaborated with Korean group TUIDA to create The Poetry Class about the colonial period and Pacific war; he also directed students at Kei Ai High School in Romeo & Juliet. Using applied theater, he performed with Village Playback Theatre creating improvisations from audience members’ personal stories, and for a three-month residency he taught embodied methods of community dialogue through the Colombo Americano in Medellin, Colombia. He has also taught theater to elementary school students at 82nd St. Academics and middle school students at Summer Institute for the Gifted.
For a year, Mitch taught at the English Immersion Program in Umphium Mai refugee camp on the Thailand-Myanmar border using a curriculum based in literature and critical thinking. With the New York Foundling at Queens College, he supervised the academic component of The Dorm Project, a program supporting youth in foster care through college. Mitch has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater from Skidmore College and a Master’s degree in Philosophy & Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Mitch has recently presented at the North Eastern Philosophy of Education Society (NEPES) and Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO) conferences. He also relishes walking in the forest.
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