Abstract for: Teaching a Course in Societal Collapse and Resilience

collapse. What led to the collapse of past and present-day societies, and what can we learn from them? Did these societies foresee the impending calamities threatening their existence? If not, why not? If yes, why did they not act in time? Contemporary thinkers foresee collapse for our civilization, citing the real and present dangers of nuclear war, resource depletion, economic decline, ecological crises, or socio-political disintegration. This concern is prevalent and is more important than any other matter that requires our attention. How might the resilience of societies be strengthened, including the resilience of the vulnerable groups within them, and our own resilience as individuals? With these questions in mind, I developed this course and have been teaching it to National University of Singapore undergraduates since January 2023. The purpose of this paper is to share the objectives and content of this course, some of the learning strategies deployed, and the graded projects assigned to the students. The topic of societal collapse and resilience is relevant, important, and urgent for all of us, and it is needful to share what we know with one another.