We see the knowledge-bearers becoming shamans and practicing the priestcraft. We see the producers of the societies increasingly oppressed, the product of their labor confiscated to support the hierarchical elite, themselves often enslaved. The discussion fills in the details of how this occurred in the Old World and then in the Americas. At the same time, I introduce into the discussion the insights of keen observers who began to raise questions about the status quo. The lessons of history are there, and in the telling of the story the message comes across very clearly.
People respond, most importantly by thinking more deeply.
My hope is always that those who complete this course will then have an overpowering desire to come back to the school to study the political economy of Henry George. The course has thus far not met this objective. In addition to the high enjoyment I get from teaching the course and helping others to think through very complex ideas about justice, the research required eventually developed into material for a book-length manuscript. The course also stimulated me to establish an educational website under the name, The School of Cooperative Individualism . An instructor's manual for the course is posted on the website for downloading.