Logic 3500-LOG

Classes, grounded in the basics of logic and ethics, will refer to Marshall Rosenberg’s nonviolent communication (NVC) method. This method facilitates reduction of conflicts, development of mutual understanding, reconsideration of the needs of concerned parties, and reaching joint solutions. It involves focusing during conversation on observations, feelings, needs, and requests. Other forms of expression (judgments, criticism, demands, diagnoses, interpretations, blaming, etc.) impede conflict resolution. The method itself is very simple but its implementation is much more difficult, and therefore requires practice.
It involves: 1. Expressing various messages, also potentially conflict-generating ones, in the language of observations, feelings, needs, and requests. 2. “Hearing” in conflict-generating statements that people make essentially the expression of their observations, feelings, needs, and requests, and translating those for one’s own use into NVC language. 3. Responding to such statements as if they were actually expressed in such a language. This method, however, does not include techniques of defeating an opponent in an argument, not to mention techniques of manipulation. It often leads towards mutual understanding indirectly: not through a direct, effective attack but through broadening the area of joint interest.
Classes will include the following points and activities:
1. Theoretical introduction to nonviolent communication. Premises of the method.
2. Basic practical exercises: distinguishing observations from interpretations, comparisons, explanations and diagnoses; distinguishing statements about feelings from statements about thoughts or ideas; distinguishing needs from strategies of fulfilling them and from analysis of others’ mistakes; distinguishing requests from demands, blaming, or purported care for the partner.
3. More advanced practical exercises: formulating one’s statements in a way typical for nonviolent communication; hearing indirectly expressed observations, feelings, needs, and requests in others’ confrontational statements, and responding to the true content of those statements.
4. Working on examples of real conflict situations brought up by participants. Sharing experiences from conflict situations.
5. Nonviolent communication in the context of social problems. Basic information about negotiations, mediation, and arbitration.
6. Discussion of views incompatible with the presented version of nonviolent communication.
7. Analysis of most common difficulties and obstacles in communication. The limits of nonviolent communication.
8. Other topics connected with the main theme of the seminar, brought up by participants.