ART/POL 150-151: Foundations of Western Civilization: Art and Politics I & II
A two-semester interdisciplinary course in politics and art that focuses on the study of the worlds of politics and art in ten successive periods of Western Civilization.
The first semester studies Ancient Greece through the Renaissance.
The second semester studies Modern Europe through 20th-century Europe and the United States.
Both semesters emphasize the reading and interpretation of the worksthat form the foundations of the West's political and artistic achievements in each historical period.
Students earn three credits in Art when registered as ART, and three credits in Politics when registered as POL.
Three credits each semester (Fulfills requirement in ART/MUSIC/THA when registered as ART, and a Social Science requirement when registered as POL.)
HIS 116-117: Foundations of Western Civilization: History I & II
An introductory study of the major themes that have shaped the Western world and distinguished it from other great historic cultures.
The first semester studies the civilizations of the ancient Greeks and Romans and that of Christianized Europe in the Middle Ages, including the emergence of feudalism, the slow evolution of national groups, and the conflicts that ensued between these forces and the political and spiritual strength of the Church.
The second semester studies the rise of the modern state; the rise of scientific inquiry and modern science and the enlightenment and their role in the dawn of the Industrial Revolution; the rise of modern technology; the age of political revolutions; and the onset of international tensions and wars.
Both semesters emphasize the reading of a wide variety of primary and secondary sources.
Three credits each semester (One semester satisfies History requirement, second semester may be taken to satisfy a Humanities requirement.)
CLT 205-206: Literary Foundations of the West
This two-semester course considers some of the great themes of the West as they are played out in literature.
The Fall semester concentrates on questions raised by the texts about the role of heroes and their relationship with their communities, as well as questions about honor, authority, obedience, rebellion, and the place of God or gods in the lives of human beings. Homer's Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid, and Dante's Divine Comedy are principal texts.
The Spring semester explores the emergence and journey of the idea of the modern self as the new "hero" and the corresponding new relations to the community, nature and the divine. Authors often include Shakespeare, Cervantes, Milton, Voltaire, Whitman and Joyce.
Three credits each semester. (One semester may be taken to satisfy a Humanities requirement.)
PHI/THE 205-206: Foundations of Western Civilization: Philosophy and Religion
Western Civilization is different from other civilizations in that it is shaped by fundamental tensions among politics, philosophy and religion. Becoming more aware and thoughtful about these tensions is an excellent way for us to gain greater self-understanding.
Explorations are particularly concerned with the "modern project" and the questions it raises regarding the ties between science and society, and about man’s relationship with God. In the first semester, texts regularly include Plato's Phaedo, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Augustine's Confessions, and Aquinas' Summa Theologica.
In the second semester, students read modern authors who challenge them to think through modern assumptions regarding what it means to be fully human. Texts regularly include Descartes' Discourse on the Method, Pascal's Pensées, and Nietzsche's Zarathustra.
Three credits each semester. (Fulfills "second theology" requirement when registered as THE, and "second philosophy" requirement when registered as PHI.)
FND 300: Special Topics in the Foundations of Western Civilization
This course, which is usually interdisciplinary, highlights and studies an issue, movement, event or work that is of critical important to Western Civilization. Topics have included Reactions to Plagues, Human Nature, and Rome: City of Emperors, Saints and Popes. Classes have taken trips to Rome and plan to travel to Venice in 2010. Other possible destinations include Paris and London.