An opportunity to think more systematically about how people keep their humanity during war occurred in the fall of 2010 when I taught a course on psychology and international politics. I had just finished a book on the psychology of genocide and was interested in seeing how the book manuscript played when I taught it. But I also wanted to explore a slightly different aspect of the problem, wanted to understand and show students how people keep their humanity during genocide and war and how they reclaim it later in life. Uncertain what to call this course, in a rash moment I dubbed it “Ethics in a time of terror and genocide,” ordered the books, and promptly forgot about the course until the late summer, when I wandered into the Department office and asked the Departmental Secretary if any of the books had arrived.

“Sure. They’re over there.”

“Thanks,” I said, as I turned to the shelf where desk copies were stored.

“Do you want to get the books for your TA, too?” Natalie asked.