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Academic Year 2004/2005


Early Modern Europe
HIST 202 SP

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

René Descartes DISCOURSE ON METHOD (Hackett) (P)
Lynn Hunt THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS (Bedford) (P)
Denis Janz A REFORMATION READER WITH A CD-ROM (Fortress Press) (P)
Bartolomé de Las Casas A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE INDIES (Penguin) (P)
John Locke POLITICAL WRITINGS OF JOHN LOCKE (Mentor) (P)
Moses Mendelssohn JERUSALEM (Brandeis) (P)
Anna Maria van Schurman WHETHER A CHRISTIAN WOMAN SHOULD BE EDUCATED (P)
Benedict Spinoza THEOLOGICAL-POLITICAL TREATISE (P)

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

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

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

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

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Teter,Magdalena    
Times: ..T.R.. 10:30AM-11:50AM;     Location: PAC001;
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 45)
SR. major: 15   Jr. major: 10
SR. non-major: 5   Jr. non-major: 5   SO: 5   FR: 5

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Reading Non-Verbal Texts, Writing
Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-21-2005


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