History 100 - Western Thought to 1600

This course covers the origins of Western Civilization in the Mediterranean world and its development in Europe to the Protestant Reformation. It explores the achievements and disasters of the ancient world: democracy, republicanism, art, architecture, philosophy, literature, war, slavery, and despotism. It also explores Europe after the fall of the Roman Republic: Christianity, feudalism, plague, exploration, conquest, renaissance, and reformation. (Gen.Ed. HS)

The western intellectual tradition continues to shape the way that modern Americans think about the world and their place in it. This
course introduces students to key developments in the intellectual, cultural, and religious history of the west from ancient Greece to the Protestant Reformation. We will focus on foundational texts, like Homer and the Bible, and their interpretation by major thinkers. History 100 is a Historical Studies (HS) general education course. This course emphasizes critical thinking, historical methods, and writing. It emphasizes the methods and approaches of cultural and intellectual history.