Western Civilization I

$50.00

Exploring the Great Ideas in History from Ancient Times to 1650

Course Description: This course is a survey of Western human history and explores simultaneously relevant Great Ideas in each chapter. It explores the social, political, religious, intellectual and artistic achievements from the earliest human civilizations to the age of exploration. Beginning with the ancient near east the course progresses chronologically through the classical period of the Greeks and Romans, the emergence and rise of the Christian faith, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation and concludes with a study of the age of discovery. The syntopical or synthesis based exploration of the Great Ideas makes this course much more than a study of the facts of thousands of years of history. Rather by tracing Great Ideas throughout it becomes a means to discover and revive intellectual traditions.

Release Date: Available
Format: Online Course

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Description

Preface: Syntopical Course Guides and Open Educational Resources (OER)

  1. Pedagogical Approach: Where Great Works and Digital Delivery Meet in Conversation
  2. Syntopical Thinking: Great Conversations that Center around Great Ideas Found in Great Works www.thegreatideas.org
  3. The Paideia Approach and the Importance of Discussion and Experiential Learning
  4. How to Use This Syntopical Course Guide
  5. The Seven Syntopical Steps:
    1. Pre-Learning Reflection
    2. Syntopical Learning Great Idea
    3. Core Text Readings
    4. Online Research
    5. Project Based Learning: Socratic Discussion and Short Essay Assignments
    6. Post Learning Reflection
    7. Suggestions for Further Reading

Introduction: What is History?

Table of Contents

  1. THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST I

The First Humans (perhaps we could present a few theories)

The Emergence of Civilization (or we start here since this is history and the rest theory)

Civilization in Mesopotamia

Egyptian Civilization: “The Gift of the Nile”

  1. THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST II

The Hebrews

The Neighbors of the Israelites

The Assyrian Empire

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

The Persian Empire

  1. THE GREEKS

Early Greece

The Greeks in a Dark Age (c. 1100-750 BC)

The Greek City-States (750-500)

Classical Greece

  1. THE HELLENISTIC WORLD

Macedonia and the Conquests of Alexander

The Hellenistic Kingdoms

Hellenistic Society, Culture and Religion

  1. THE ROMAN REPUBLIC

The Founding of Rome

The Roman Republic (509-264)

Roman Expansion (264-133)

Roman Society, Culture and Religion

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Republic (133-31)

  1. THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Augustus (31-14)

The Early Empire (14-180)

Roman Society, Culture and Religion

Crises in the Third Century

The Rise of Christianity

  1. TRANSITION FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE MIDDLE AGES

The Late Roman Empire

The Germanic Kingdoms

The Christian Church

The Byzantine Empire

The Rise of Islam

  1. THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES, 750-1000

The Carolingians

Lords and Vassals

Byzantine Civilization

The Slavic Peoples

Islamic

  1. THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES

Feudalism

Life on the Manor

Trade and Cities

Society, Culture and Religion

  1. KINGDOMS AND CHURCH POWER

European Kingdoms, 1000-1300

The Recovery and Reform of the Catholic Church

Christianity and Medieval Civilization

The Crusades

  1. THE LATER MIDDLE AGES

The Black Death and Social Crisis

War and Political Instability

Society, Culture and Religion

  1. THE RENAISSANCE

The Italian Renaissance

Renaissance Society and Culture

The Italian States in the Renaissance

Intellectual Renaissance

Artistic Renaissance

The European State in the Renaissance

The Church in the Renaissance

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