Civilization studies provide an in-depth examination of the development and accomplishments of one of the world's great civilizations through direct encounters with significant and exemplary documents and monuments. These sequences complement the literary and philosophical study of texts central to the humanities sequences, as well as the study of synchronous social theories that shape basic questions in the social science sequences. Their approach stresses the grounding of events and ideas in historical context and the interplay of events, institutions, ideas, and cultural expressions in social change. The courses emphasize texts rather than surveys as a way of getting at the ideas, cultural patterns, and social pressures that frame the understanding of events and institutions within a civilization. And they seek to explore a civilization as an integrated entity, capable of developing and evolving meanings that inform the lives of its citizens.

Unless otherwise specified, courses should be taken in sequence. Note the prerequisites, if any, included in the course description of each sequence. Some civilization sequences are two-quarter sequences; others are three-quarter sequences. Students may fulfill a two-quarter civilization requirement with two courses from a three-quarter sequence.

Because civilization studies sequences offer an integrated, coherent approach to the study of a civilization, students cannot change sequences. Students can neither combine courses from a civilization sequence with a freestanding course nor combine various freestanding courses to create a civilization studies sequence. Students who wish to use such combinations are seldom granted approval to their petitions, including petitions from students with curricular and scheduling conflicts who have postponed meeting the civilization studies requirement until their third or fourth year in the College.

Courses

ANTH 20701-20702. Introduction to African Civilization I, II. (=HIST 10101-10102, SOSC 22500-22600) General education social science sequence recommended. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This course presents the political, economic, social, and cultural development of sub-Saharan African communities and states from a variety of points from the precolonial past to the present. The Autumn Quarter treats the social organization and political economy of several precolonial societies in southern, central, and eastern Africa. The Winter Quarter focuses on the historically and culturally complex experience of Ethiopia, using diverse primary texts (royal chronicles, folk poetry, art, music, coins, ethnographies, traveler's reports, survey data, and contemporary writing) along with scholarly analyses. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05.

EALC 10800-10900-11000. Introduction to the Civilizations of East Asia I, II, III. (=HIST 15100-15200-15300, SOSC 23500-23600-23700) May be taken in sequence or individually. This sequence meets the civilization studies requirement in general education. This is a three-quarter sequence on the civilizations of China, Japan, and Korea, with emphasis on major transformation in these cultures and societies from the Middle Ages to the present. This year's sequence focuses on Japan from 1600 to the present, China from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, and Korea from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. P. Duara, Autumn; S. Burns, Winter; Staff, Spring.

HIPS 17300-17400-17501 (or 17502). Science, Culture, and Society in Western Civilization I, II, III. (=HIST 17300-17400-17501 [or 17502]) Each course may be taken individually, although it is recommended that students take the entire sequence in order. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This three-quarter sequence focuses on the origins and development of science in the West. The aim is to trace the evolution of the biological, psychological, natural, and mathematical sciences as they emerge from the cultural and social matrix of their periods, and in turn, affect culture and society.

HIPS 17300. The first quarter examines the sources of Greek science in the diverse modes of ancient thought and its advance through the first centuries of our era. We look at the technical refinement of science, its connections to political and philosophical movements of fifth- and fourth-century Athens, and its growth in Alexandria. N. Swerdlow. Autumn.

HIPS 17400. The second quarter is concerned with the period of the scientific revolution: the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The principal subjects are the work of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Vesalius, Harvey, Descartes, and Newton. N. Swerdlow. Winter.

HIPS 17502. Modern Science. The advances science has produced have transformed modern life beyond anything that a person living in 1833 (when the term "scientist" was first coined) could have anticipated. Yet science's dazzling success continues to pose questions that are both challenging and, in some instances, troubling. How will our technologies affect the environment? Should we prevent the cloning of humans? Can we devise a politically acceptable framework for the patenting of life? Such questions make it vitally important that we try to understand what science is and how it works, even if we ourselves never enter laboratories or do experiments. This course helps us achieve that understanding, whatever our initial level of scientific expertise. The course uses evidence from today's scientific controversies, ranging from the Human Genome Project to the International Space Station, to throw light on the enterprise of science itself. A. Johns. Spring.

HIST 13001-13002 (13003). History of European Civilization I, II (III). This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. Students who plan to complete a three-quarter sequence will register for HIST 13003 in Spring Quarter after completing HIST 13001-13002. Students may not combine HIST 13003 with one other quarter of European Civilization to construct a two-quarter sequence. European Civilization is a two-quarter sequence designed to introduce students to the nature and history of European civilization from the early Middle Ages to the twentieth century. It complements parallel sequences in ancient Mediterranean, Byzantine, Islamic, and American civilizations, and may be supplemented by a third quarter (HIST 13003) chosen from several topics designed to expand a student's understanding of European civilization in a particular direction. We place emphasis throughout on the recurring tension between universal aspirations and localizing boundaries, as well as on the fundamental rhythms of tradition and change. Our method consists of close reading of primary sources intended to illuminate the formation and development of a characteristically European way of life in the high Middle Ages; the collapse of ecclesiastical universalism in the early modern period; and the development of modern politics, society, and culture in the centuries to follow. Individual instructors may choose different sources to illuminate those themes, but some of the most important readings are the same in all sections. 13001-13002 (13003): Autumn, Winter (Spring). 13001-13002: Winter, Spring.

HIST 13100-13200-13300. History of Western Civilization I, II, III. Available as a three-quarter sequence (Autumn, Winter, Spring) or as a two-quarter sequence (Autumn, Winter; or Winter, Spring). This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. The purpose of this sequence is threefold: (1) to introduce students to the principles of historical thought, (2) to acquaint them with some of the more important epochs in the development of Western civilization since the sixth century B.C., and (3) to assist them in discovering connections between the various epochs. The purpose of the course is not to present a general survey of Western history. Instruction consists of intensive investigation of a selection of original documents bearing on a number of separate topics, usually two or three a quarter, occasionally supplemented by the work of a modern historian. The treatment of the selected topics varies from section to section. This sequence is currently offered twice a year. The amount of material covered is the same whether the student enrolls in the Autumn-Winter-Spring sequence or the Summer sequence. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

HIST 13500-13600-13700. America in Western Civilization I, II, III. Available as a three-quarter sequence (Autumn, Winter, Spring) or as a two-quarter sequence (Autumn, Winter; or Winter, Spring). This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This sequence uses the American historical experience, set within the context of Western civilization, to (1) introduce students to the principles of historical thought, (2) probe the ways political and social theory emerge within specific historical contexts, and (3) explore some of the major issues and trends in American historical development. This sequence is not a general survey of American history.

HIST 13500. The first quarter examines the establishment of the new American society in the colonial and early national periods, focusing on the experience of social change and cultural interaction. Subunits examine the basic order of early colonial society; the social, political, and intellectual forces for a rethinking of that order; and the experiences of the Revolution and of making a new polity. Autumn.

HIST 13600. The second quarter focuses on the creation of the American nation in the nineteenth century. Subunits focus on the impact of economic individualism on the discourse on democracy and community; on pressures to expand the definition of nationhood to include racial minorities, immigrants, and women; on the crisis over slavery and sectionalism; and on class tensions and the polity. Winter.

HIST 13700. The third quarter takes the society and nation thus created and focuses on the transformations produced by immigration, industrial re-organization, and the expansion of state power. Subunits focus on the definitions of Americanism and social order in a multicultural society; Taylorism and social engineering; culture in the shadow of war; the politics of race, ethnicity, and gender; and the rise of new social movements. Spring.

HIST 16101-16102-16103/36101-36102-36103. Introduction to Latin American Civilization I, II, III. (=ANTH 23101-23102-23103, LACS 34600-34700-34800, LTAM 16100-16200-16300, SOSC 26100-26200-26300) PQ: Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences. May be taken in sequence or individually. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This course is an introduction to the history and cultures of Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean Islands. Autumn Quarter examines the origins of civilizations in Latin America with a focus on the political, social, and cultural features of the major pre-Columbian civilizations of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec. The quarter concludes with consideration of the Spanish and Portuguese conquest and the construction of colonial societies in Latin America. Winter Quarter addresses the evolution of colonial societies, the wars of independence, and the emergence of Latin American nation-states in the changing international context of the nineteenth century. Spring Quarter focuses on the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the challenges of economic, political, and social development in the region. A. Kolata, Autumn; D. Borges, Winter; E. Kouri, Spring.

HIST 16700-16800-16900. Ancient Mediterranean World I, II, III. Available as a three-quarter sequence (Autumn, Winter, Spring) or as a two-quarter sequence (Autumn, Winter; or Winter, Spring). This sequence surveys the social, economic, and political history of Greece to the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.) in Autumn Quarter; the Roman Republic (527 to 509 B.C.) in Winter Quarter; and concludes in Spring Quarter with the five centuries between the establishment of imperial autocracy in 27 B.C. and the fall of the Western empire in the fifth century A.D. This sequence is offered in alternate years.

HIST 16700. Ancient Mediterranean World I. (=ANST 20700, CLCV 20700) This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This course surveys the social, economic, and political history of Greece from prehistory down to the Hellenistic period. The main topics considered include the development of the institutions of the Greek city-state, the Persian Wars and the rivalry of Athens and Sparta, the social and economic consequences of the Peloponnesian War, and the eclipse and defeat of the city-states by the Macedonians. J. Hall, S. Richardson. Autumn.

HIST 16800. Ancient Mediterranean World II. (=ANST 20800, CLCV 20800) This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This course surveys the social, economic, and political history of Rome, from its prehistoric beginnings in the twelfth century B.C.E. to the political crisis following the death of Nero in 69 C.E. Throughout, the focus is upon the dynamism and adaptability of Roman society, as it moved from a monarchy to a republic to an empire, and the implications of these political changes for structures of competition and cooperation within the community. C. Grey. Winter.

HIST 16900. Ancient Mediterranean World III. (=ANST 20900, CLCV 20900) This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This quarter surveys the five centuries between the establishment of imperial autocracy in 27 B.C. and the fall of the Western empire in the fifth century A.D. Spring.

HIST 18301-18302. Colonizations I, II. Must be taken in sequence. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This two-quarter sequence approaches the concept of "civilization" from an emphasis on cross-cultural/societal connections. We explore the dynamics of conquest, slavery, colonialism, and their reciprocal relationships with concepts such as resistance, freedom, and independence with an eye toward understanding their interlocking role in the making of the modern world. Themes of slavery, colonization, and the making of the Atlantic world are covered in the first quarter. Colonization is the theme of the second quarter, with emphasis on Asia and the Pacific. We start with a consideration of the pre-modern Arab and Chinese empires and then turn to European and Japanese colonialism (and decolonization) in Asia. K. Warren, Autumn, M. Ngai, Winter; J. Saville, Winter, K. Fikes, Spring.

JWSC 20000-20100-20200. Judaic Civilization I, II, III. It is recommended that students begin with the first course in the sequence. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This is a sequential study of periods and communities selected from the history of Judaic civilization, viewed from multiple perspectives (i.e., historical, literary, philosophical, religious, social) and examined in light of the varied ways that civilization is and is not the product of interactions between the Jewish people and surrounding civilizations, nations, and religions. The primary focus is on a close reading of original sources in translation. Specific periods and communities studied may vary from year to year.

JWSC 20000. Judaic Civilization I: Introduction to Biblical Civilization. (=HUMA 20000, JWSG 31000) This course provides an overall introduction to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), with specific attention to its literary, religious, and ideological contents. The diversity of thought and theology in ancient Israel is explored, along with its notions of text, teaching, and tradition. Revision and reinterpretation is found within the Bible itself. Portions of the earliest post-biblical interpretation (in Philo, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and selected Pseudepigrapha) are also considered. Autumn.

JWSC 20100. Judaic Civilization II: Rabbinic Judaism from the Mishnah to Maimonides. (=HUMA 20100, JWSG 31100) This course is a study of the primary texts in the development of classical and medieval rabbinic Judaism from roughly 70 C.E. to the twelfth century. The course centers on selections (in translation) from the Mishnah and tannaitic Midrash, the Babylonian Talmud, Geonic and Karaite writing, the Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew literature of Andalusia, and Maimonides's legal and philosophical compositions. Topics include different conceptions of the Hebrew Bible and its interpretation; the origins and development of the Oral Law; relations between Judaism and both Christianity and Islam; sectarianism, rationalist, and antirationalist trends in rabbinic thought; and the emergence of secular pursuits in the rabbinic tradition. Winter.

JWSC 20200. Judaic Civilization III. (=HUMA 20200, JWSG 31200) The third quarter of the sequence focuses on Jewish life and creative achievement in America, the Holocaust and testimonies by survivors, and a brief look at modern Jewish theology. Spring.

MUSI 12100-12200. Music in Western Civilization. (=HIST 12700-12800, SOSC 21100-21200) Prior music course or ability to read music not required. This two-quarter sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. It may not be used to meet the general education requirement in the dramatic, musical, and visual arts. This two-quarter sequence explores musical works of broad cultural significance in Western civilization. We study pieces not only from the standpoint of musical style, but also through the lenses of politics, intellectual history, economics, gender, cultural studies, and so on. Readings are taken both from our music textbook and from the writings of a number of figures such as St. Benedict of Nursia and Martin Luther. The format of the class consists of lectures, as well as discussions, in smaller sections that focus on important issues in the readings and on music listening exercises.

MUSI 12100. Music in Western Civilization: To 1750. R. Kendrick. Winter.

MUSI 12200. Music in Western Civilization: 1750 to the Present. Spring.

NEHC 20001-20002-20003/30001-30002-30003. History of the Ancient Near East I, II, III. (=ANST 21300-21400-21500) Available as a three-quarter sequence or as a two-quarter sequence (Autumn, Winter; or Winter, Spring). This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This sequence surveys the history of the ancient Near East from ca. 3400 B.C. to the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.). Areas covered include Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Syria-Palestine, Iran, and Egypt. Autumn, Winter, Spring. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05.

NEHC 20011 through 20085. Perspectives on Near Eastern Civilizations I, II, III. PQ: Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences. May be taken in sequence or individually. A two- or three-course sequence taken in one academic year meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. If this sequence is used to meet requirements in the major, all three courses must be taken. The various courses offered in this sequence introduce students to key aspects of the several civilizations of the Near East. Sequences include courses in the Literatures (2001X), the Religions (2003X), and the Peoples and Cultures (2006X) of Ancient and Modern Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria-Palestine, and Iran.

NEHC 20065/30065. Ancient Near Eastern Peoples and Cultures: Women in Ancient Egypt. (=GNDR 20065) A woman in ancient Egypt has been described as "a person with all the implications of that term: holder of (legal) rights, possessor of property, object of respect, able to have influence over her own affairs, but remaining feminine." This class looks at Egyptian literary and documentary texts in translation, at statuary and two-dimensional artistic representations, and at archaeological materials, from small objects through site plans to study the social, economic, and legal status of women in ancient Egypt, as well as their public and private roles. J. Johnson. Autumn, 2004.

NEHC 20066/30066. Ancient Near East Peoples and Cultures: Women in Mesopotamia. (=GNDR 20066) M. Roth. Spring, 2005.

NEHC 20069/30069. Ancient Near East Peoples and Cultures: Women in the Modern Middle East. (=GNDR 20069) H. Shissler. Winter, 2005.

NEHC 20601-20602/30601-30602. Introduction to Islamic Civilization I, II. (=SOSC 22000-22100) PQ: Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This two-quarter sequence surveys the social, religious, and cultural institutions of the Islamic world, from Spain to India. We cover the period from the rise of Islam to early modern times. Texts in English.

NEHC 20601/30601. Introduction to Islamic Civilization I. (=SOSC 22000) The first quarter (roughly 600 to 1100) concentrates on the career of the Prophet Muhammad; Qur'an and Hadith; the Caliphate; the development of Islamic legal, theological, philosophical, and mystical discourses; sectarian movements; and Arabic literature. W. Kadi. Autumn.

NEHC 20602/30602. Introduction to Islamic Civilization II. (=SOSC 22100) The second quarter (roughly 1100 to 1800) surveys Islamic political, social, and cultural development in the eras of the Crusades, the Mongol invasions, and the "gunpowder empires" of the Ottomans, the Safavids, and the Mughals, as represented in works of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literature (in translation) and the art and architecture of selected regions. R. Dankoff, J. Perry. Winter.

SALC 20100-20200. Introduction to the Civilization of South Asia I, II. (=ANTH 24101-24102, HIST 10800-10900, SASC 20000-20100, SOSC 23000-23100) PQ: Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences. Must be taken in sequence. This course fulfills the general education requirement in civilization studies. This sequence of courses provides an introduction to core themes in the formation of culture and society in South Asia before colonialism. In the Autumn Quarter, readings selected mainly from Sanskrit and vernacular sources address ideas and practices relating to space, time, self, power, language, love, beauty, death, and spirit. The Winter Quarter focuses on Islam in South Asia, Hindu-Muslim interaction, Mughal political and literary traditions, and South Asia's early encounters with Europe. S. Pollock, Autumn; M. Alam, Winter.

SOSC 24000-24100. Introduction to Russian Civilization I, II. (=HIST 13900-14000, RUSS 25100-25200) It is recommended that students begin with the first course in this sequence. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This two-quarter, interdisciplinary course studies geography, history, literature, economics, law, fine arts, religion, sociology, and agriculture, among other fields, to see how the civilization of Russia has developed and functioned since the ninth century. The first quarter covers the period up to 1801; the second, since 1801. The course has a common lecture by a specialist in the field, usually on a topic about which little is written in English. Two weekly seminar meetings are devoted to discussion of the readings, which integrate the materials from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. The course attempts to inculcate an understanding of the separate elements of Russian civilization. Emphasis is placed on discovering indigenous elements of Russian civilization and how they have reacted to the pressures and impact of other civilizations, particularly Byzantine, Mongol-Tataric, and Western. The course also considers problems of the social sciences, such as the way in which the state has dominated society, stratification, patterns of legitimization of the social order, symbols of collective social and cultural identity, the degrees of pluralism in society, and the autonomy an individual has vis-à-vis the social order. Also examined are such problems as the role of the center in directing the periphery and its cultural, political, and economic order; the mechanisms of control over the flow of resources and the social surplus; and processes of innovation and modernization. This course is offered in alternate years. R. Hellie, N. Ingham. Autumn, Winter.

Students may also complete their civilization studies requirement by participating in one of the College's study abroad programs listed below. For more information about these programs, consult the Study Abroad Programs section of this catalog or see study-abroad.uchicago.edu.

SOSC 20800-20900-21000. Rome: Antiquity to Baroque

   (Rome, Italy; Autumn)

SOSC 21300-21400-21500. Western Mediterranean Civilization

   (Barcelona, Spain; Winter)

SOSC 23001-23002-23003. South Asian Civilization in India

   (Pune, India; Winter)

SOSC 24302-24402-24502. Latin American Civilization in Oaxaca

   (Oaxaca, Mexico; Winter)

SOSC 24600-24700-24800. Vienna in Western Civilization

   (Vienna, Austria; Autumn)

SOSC 26600-26700-26800. African Civilization in Africa

   (Cape Town, South Africa; Winter)

SOSC 27500-27600-27700. France in Western Civilization

   (Paris, France; Spring)

SOSC 27501-27601-27701. Civilisation Européenne

   (Paris, France; Autumn). PQ: Advanced knowledge of French.

SOSC 27800-27900-28000. Greek Antiquity and Its Legacy

   (Athens, Greece; Spring)