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Academic Year 2004/2005

Early Modern Europe
HIST 202 FA

This course will explore issues concerning religion, culture and society in early modern Europe. The purpose of this course is to familiarize the students of European history with the complexity of historical developments in the early modern period, stretching roughly from the fifteenth century to the end of the eighteenth century. While political developments will be discussed, the focus of the course will be early modern European society and culture. Special attention will be devoted to the impact of printing on the culture of Europe, the impact of religious ideas on society and culture, inter-confessional relations resulting from Reformation and Counter Reformation (Catholics, Protestants, and Jews), the status of women. We will discuss the question of confessionalization and its impact on religious "minorities," as well as the development of ideas of religious toleration, as well as debates on race that were prompted by the colonization of non-European territories. Geographically, the course will go beyond Western Europe, and will cover in various countries, as diverse as Poland, the German lands, Papal States and Catholic Spain.

MAJOR READINGS

Merriman, A HISTORY OF MODERN EUROPE, Vol I
READINGS IN WESTERN CIVILATION, Vols. 5,7.
Bainton, THE REFORMATION OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Cortes, FIVE LETTERS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Machiavelli, THE PRINCE AND THE DISCOURSES
de Tocqueville, THE OLD REGIME AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
Woloch, EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPE
Barker, ed., SOCIAL CONTRACT: LOCKE, HUME, ROUSSEAU
Hobbes, LEVIATHAN
Rousseau, FIRST AND SECOND DISCOURSES
Burke, REFLECTIONS ON THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE
Paine, RIGHTS OF MAN
Lefebvre, THE COMING OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
Moore, Jr., SOCIAL ORIGINS OF DICTATORSHIP AND DEMOCRACY

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Mid-term and final examination; two papers (4pp.); discussion assignments.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-21-2005

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