Liberal Studies 200
Culture and Values:
An Introduction to the Humanities
Instructor: Dr. John M. Minniear
Dates of course: Feb. 9-13 / Feb, 16-20 / Feb. 23-27
Location: Vienna and Rome
Course Description:
Culture and Values: An Introduction to the Humanities provides an overview of some of the world's major civilizations--their artistic achievements, their history and their cultures. Through this integrated approach to the humanities, this course offers opportunities to explore cultural evolution, assess various stages of cultural diversity and determine the values of being “culturally literate.” By studying representative historical events and selected literary, architectural and artistic documents and monuments within their cultural contexts, students will be introduced to the time-enduring questions regarding the human condition. Students will be guided to focus on past human attitudes and feelings and how these expressions have manifested themselves in philosophy, the arts and sciences throughout the ages. Contemporary ideas and ideals and their values and relevance to the continuum of cultural evolution will be stressed throughout the course.
Class Policies:
Academic honesty and integrity is expected at all times. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct will not be tolerated and will be handled according to university guidelines.
Learning Resources:
Cultural monuments: site visits in the cities of residence during the duration of the course (thee weeks) as well as any preceding visits and commentary will provide on site learning opportunities. (e.g. Wittenberg Schlosskirche and Luther Haus / Sansouci / Pergamon Museum, etc.)
Classroom lectures, discussions and presentations of musical, literary, artistic and architectural examples.
Requirements:
The success of this class depends in part, on the interaction of the students, therefore active participation of each class member is not just encouraged, but is expected. “Active participation” includes being present and on time for the entire class period and being prepared to discuss the material when appropriate. Because this course is accelerated, as are all others, it is important for students to attend every day that they are physically able to do so.
Course Assessment:
Required readings; class attendance; class discussion; reaction/response papers; exams and project reviews (such as on site observations)
Exams and Grading:
Course grades will be based on the following scale:
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76-81% BC |
59-63% D |
88-92% AB
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70-75% C |
58% or less F |
82-87% B
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64-69% CD |
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- Incomplete (I) will only be given in exceptional circumstances.
Students with Special Needs:
It is university policy to provide reasonable accommodations to students who have documented disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Please contact me as soon as possible to discuss any accommodations you might need and provide appropriate documentation.
Topic headings / units of study:
1. The Dawn of Culture and Ancient Egypt
This unit traces the Western cultural tradition by examining the earliest people and their art, the kingdoms of ancient Egypt, the culture of Mesopotamia and the Aegean cultures of the Bronze Age.
2. Aegean Culture and the Rise of Ancient Greece
This study of Early Greece is divided into the heroic age, the age of colonization and the archaic period. Examples of Greek literature, sculpture, painting and architecture, music and drama are discussed.
3. Classical and Hellenistic Greece
This unit surveys the stability and unity of Greece during the Classical Age (479 B.C.E. to 323 B.C.E.) -- a level of civilization that has served as a continuing inspiration to our culture. The artistic and intellectual achievements are explored and evaluated. The contributions of Greek philosophers from this period which became the basis of Western thought for the next two thousand years are presented. The importance of the Roman conquest of Greece and the Greek ideals of order and human reason are also discussed.
4. The Roman Legacy
This unit explores the contributions of Rome to the development of Western civilization. Emphasis is placed on its governmental and military achievements and on its art, architecture, philosophy, and literature.
5. Jerusalem and the Rise of Christianity
In this unit, the Bible will be reviewed as an historical source for the study of Solomon and the prophets. The cultural and philosophical significance of the Biblical period will be explored by examining select examples of literature, art, architecture and music.
6. Byzantine and Islamic Civilizations
This unit deals with the rise of Christianity and the decline of Rome. Emphasis is placed on the Byzantine Empire and its culture. The art, architecture and literature are dealt with in detail, particularly the Confessions of Augustine and the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople.
7. The Early Middle Ages and the Romanesque
This unit traces the revival of the Roman Empire in the West under Charlemagne. Feudal rule was established and legal decrees were issued. The rise of monasticism, liturgical music and the beginnings of drama are explored.
8. The Gothic and Late Middle Ages
This unit presents the development of Paris as a royal city and France as an important kingdom and center of Western civilization during the Middle Ages. The beginnings of Gothic architecture, scholasticism, and the educational community (university) were evidence of the humane learning inherited from Greek and Roman culture and the accepted faith of the West. The discovery of the writings of Aristotle, the crusades and religious reforms were all factors in the flowering of medieval culture.
9. The Renaissance and Mannerism in Italy
In this unit, the events leading to the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the Renaissance are presented. The 14th century is marked by natural calamity, institutional decay, and cruel violence. The developments in literature (Petrarch and Chaucer), art (Giotto) and music (Ars Nova) are also explored. Part of the unit focuses on the city of Florence, home of the 15th century Renaissance. Artists, intellectuals and humanists were convinced that a careful study of the classics of Greece and Rome could be used as revolutionary tools to restructure politics, reinterpret architecture and set new standards for art and increase both intellectual and moral powers of the educated.
This unit also explores the role the Papal Court at the Vatican played in continuing the artistic patronage after the decline of the Medici and other Florentine families. The activity of Raphael and Michelangelo at the Vatican is contrasted with the work going on in Venice (Giorgione and Titian). Mannerism in art is presented as well as the music of the Papal Court and Venice.
10. The Renaissance in the North
This unit covers the effects of the spread of the Protestant Revolution of Reformation during the 16th century primarily in Northern Europe. The causes of the Reformation, Renaissance humanism, and the cultural significance of the Reformation are discussed in detail. Emphasis is also placed on the art, architecture, literature and music of Germany, the Netherlands, France and Elizabethan England.
11. The Baroque Age
The Counter Reformation of the 17th century brought dramatic change in artistic and intellectual developments. This unit explores these developments in art, music, philosophy and science, and literature in Western Europe. Specific artists, composers and writers are dealt with in detail.
12. The Eighteenth Century
The eighteenth century was an age of contradictions. Neoclassicism prevailed in literature and in the visual arts, while classical music paralleled the altitudes of the rococo style and the aristocratic age. These developments gave rise to the Encyclopedists, to philosophical cynicism and satire, and, ultimately, to revolution.
13. Romanticism and Realism
This unit explores the birth of romanticism and how the movement was represented in music, literature and art of the period both in Europe and in America. The back-to-nature sentiments of Rousseau and the philosophies of Kant and Hegel resulted in a sweeping revolt against science, authority, tradition and new-classicism.
14. Toward the Modern Era: 1870-1914
The growing unrest of the 19th century resulted in World War I (The Great War)--a decisive turning point in Western Civilization. The growth of more democratic governments and scientific achievements, the rise of capitalism, and the decline of religion created an uncertain world that was reflected in the arts. New movements in art, new styles in music, and new subjects in literature were all results of this widespread feeling of unrest.
15. Between the World Wars
After The Great War (WW I), two different approaches to the world existed: a spirit of frivolity and a feeling of bitterness and cynicism. Artists reacted to this troubled world in different ways. Literary modernism, cubism and surrealism were all reactions to the unsettled world. The many cultural responses to social distress are presented.
16. The Contemporary Contour
Many of the complexities of the world after World War II are presented in this unit. The changing character of the postwar period is reflected in the arts. A multitude of movements and styles are surveyed.
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