The Invention of Man
- Winter 2015
Syllabus Description:
The Invention of Man
In this course we will read a selection of the books that shaped the emergence of modern Western civilization. The guiding theme will be the emancipation of human life from its binding to divine sanction. The Bible says that God created man in His own image. Medieval images show men and women as
divine or demonic universals. The Renaissance developed individual portraiture and variable perspective. We will examine the parallel developments in literature and ideas. Particular attention to techniques for understanding challenging writings from other eras and to your own writing skills. Frequent paragraph assignments, concluding with a final exam or (optionally) longer final paper. Readings:
Dante, Inferno
Boccaccio, Decameron (selections)
Rabelais, Gargantua
Montaigne, "Of Repentance," "Of Experience"
Machiavelli, The Prince
Shakespeare, Hamlet
Descartes, Discourse on Method
Additional Details:
In this course we will read a selection of the books that shaped the emergence of modern Western civilization. The guiding theme will be the emancipation of human life from its binding to divine sanction. The Bible says that God created man in His own image. Medieval images show men and women as divine or demonic universals. The Renaissance developed individual portraiture and variable perspective. We will examine the parallel developments in literature and ideas. Particular attention to techniques for understanding challenging writings from other eras and to your own writing skills. Frequent paragraph assignments, concluding with a final exam or (optionally) longer final paper. Readings:
Dante, Inferno
Boccaccio, Decameron (selections)
Rabelais, Gargantua
Montaigne, "Of Repentance," "Of Experience"
Machiavelli, The Prince
Shakespeare, Hamlet
Descartes, Discourse on Method