HUMANITIES I

This course uses an interdisciplinary approach that includes art, philosophy, literature, and music to understand the evolution of culture. It begins with prehistory and the first agricultural settlements in Egypt and the Fertile Crescent.  Some cross-cultural comparisons are made through the study of ancient Indian and Chinese culture. Emphasis is placed on the intellectual development of the ancient Hebrews. Ancient Greece and Rome follow, as the progenitors of western culture. We examine the religious practices of emerging Islam, set in contrast and comparison with the Christian intellectual tradition through the Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic periods. Hindu and Buddhist ideas and artifacts provide further context and perspective. The course concludes with the study of renaissance culture into the early 16th century.  Counts as Humanities credit for general education requirements. Prerequisite: ENGL110. 

Sandro Botticelli, "La Calunnia di Apelle" (1495 c.) , tempera su tavola - Firenze, Uffizi