Humanities (HUMN) 202

Overview

How did the Reformation and the Scientific Revolution change the intellectual and cultural climate of Europe? In what ways was Baroque Classicism a cultural expression of the political Age of Absolutism? What were the principal qualities and achievements of the Enlightenment? Was there a causal relationship between the American and French Revolutions and the Romantic Movement? What new forms of middle class and working-class culture resulted from the growth of industrial society in the nineteenth century? Which leading artists and intellectuals made fundamental attacks on the values and cultural forms of industrial society, and what were their most valuable contributions? How did Western cultural and intellectual life change as a result of the two world wars? What have been the most important artistic and scientific developments in the post-industrial age?

These are some of the questions examined in HUMN 202. It is the second of two, three-credit courses that together survey the development of Western civilization from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to the complicated and sophisticated world of the post-industrial era. Although the course employs a historical framework, its overall approach is interdisciplinary, drawing upon the insights of artists, musicians, theologians, philosophers, and literary critics as well as social and political historians.

Outline

Western Culture II: Since the Reformation is divided into eight units:

Unit 1: The Reformation and Mannerism, 1500-1603

Unit 2: The Baroque Era and the Scientific Revolution, 1600-1730

Unit 3: The Enlightenment, 1700-1789

Unit 4: Revolutions and Romanticism, 1760-1830

Unit 5: Romanticism, Nationalism and Realism, 1830-1870

Unit 6: Early Modernism, 1870-1914

Unit 7: Modernism and the Era of Discontent, 1905-1945

Unit 8: Late Modernism and Post-Modernism, 1945 to the Present

Evaluation

The final grade in Humanities 202: Western Culture II: Since the Reformation is based on the grades achieved on two essay assignments and on the final examination. The final examination is closed book and invigilated. A score of at least 50 percent must be obtained on this examination in order to pass the course. Students who do not achieve a minimum passing grade of 50 percent on the final examination will be allowed to write a supplemental final examination. A final (composite) grade of “D” (50 percent) or better must also be achieved for credit to be awarded for the course. The following summarizes the weighting of the assignments:

Essay 1	Essay 2	Final Exam	Total
25%	35%	40%	100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.