A discussion
and survey of some seminal works in the Western literary, philosophical,
and cultural tradition. Enrollment is generally limited to entering
freshmen who have been accepted into the University Honors Program.
The Honors Introduction to the Humanities is made up of four different
course listings: ENGL 297, HIST 297, MLANG 297, and PHILO 297. All classes
in the Honors Humanities have a common reading list and follow approximately
the same course format, but details of the schedule and assignments
may differ from course to course. Each of these classes is interchangeable
for the the Basic Requirements for the College of Arts & Sciences.
For example, taking the MLANG 297 course can count as a philosophy course
or a western heritage course (but not both).
In HIST 297, we will discuss the historical context of the assigned
works, but we'll also turn these "great books" to engage broad
questions about the human experience. These questions include: What
have human beings hoped to get from the pursuit of knowledge? What kinds
of ideas have guided the social and political organization of communities?
PLEASE NOTE that at four times during the semester, all sections of
the Honors Introduction to the Humanities will meet together. Because
these evening meetings may cause conflicts, but are a required portion
of the course, you should plan to reserve these four evenings immediately
upon their announcement in class.