Overview:

This one-year course surveys major trends in Western Civilization from antiquity to the present day, with special emphasis on the history of art and ideas. Its chief objective is to help students develop a historical and global perspective on Western culture. This semester traces the rise of modernity through the following cultural periods: the Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, and Postmodernism. Under these headings, we will focus on major thinkers and writers like Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud; and artists such as Vermeer, David, Goya, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Warhol, to name a few.  Through close analysis and comparison of representative works, we will track the ongoing development of the humanistic tradition. Class activities consist of brief lectures, group discussions, and multi-media presentations. Outside the classroom, students are required to attend regular film screenings.