A controversy is an argument that does not concern a specific issue or a mere factual question. When you dive into a controversy, in order to try to resolve it, there is a deep abyss of factual, methodological, conceptual, and other disagreements. In the "controversy" there is a process of conflict between different worldviews (for example, public health physicians and "vaccines hesitant"), which enables the identification of disguised ideological, scientific, ethical, aesthetic and other hidden or overt assumptions and presumptions.

The issue of the environment is fraught with controversy, not only because of economic, real estate or other interests. Disputes arise mainly because of differences in values ​​or worldviews that are in the background and arguments that involve numerous interests, including scientific and academic.

The purpose of the seminar is to discuss diverse environmental controversies, including current ones (gas facilities, water fluoridation, 5G network, vaccines, cannabis, etc.) to identify conflicts between worldviews, values, arguments and more. Analysis of the controversies will allow discussion of the types, sources, and scientific and conceptual aspects of current environmental disputes, some of which are being denied since there is no controversy among the "experts".

These disagreements will be analyzed and classified through the distinction between debate, dispute and controversy, and through familiarity with basic concepts of environmental debate, with an emphasis on conflicts and disagreements that existed in Israel, or have a local Israeli aspect.

After a general introduction to the environmental discussion, the seminar will deal with the analysis of environmental disputes, and will encourage group discussion in student work.

As we shall see, controversies are less rational today than in the Enlightenment Era, since the criterion of reason has been replaced by criteria of authority (regulatory bodies, scientific / medical consensus in certain areas, the position of experts, etc.).