History 102:  The West and the Modern World

Welcome to the West and the Modern World course for the spring 2001 semester.  This course is an introduction to the history of the so-called West, which includes Europe, the Americas, and other lands (such as Australia) that became populated with people of European origin.  More than a geographic entity, the West is also a cultural construct that gradually came to promote (among other things) Judeo-Christian ethics, a belief in human progress and technology, the separation of religious and political authority, the right to private property, and the codification of political equality and freedoms. 

Of course many of these ideals developed gradually, were realized only partially, or were even repudiated in certain circumstances, which is one reason why the course covers a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th century through the late 20th century.  We study western society not because the West is necessarily better (or worse) than other civilizations but because western culture gave birth to or shaped many of the beliefs, values, customs, institutions, political systems, economic developments, scientific discoveries, and cultural phenomena that affect people living in North America.  

The focus of this course is not on names, dates, or the accomplishments of celebrated individuals but rather on the processes and transformations that influenced the evolution of western society. We will study politics, economics, religion, science, art, culture, music, and anything else that constitutes the basis of human society.  We will study these things from a western perspective, but we will also study how western society influenced and was influenced by other societies and civilizations.