The Meanings of History

Catalog description

This upper-division seminar for juniors and seniors analyzes the ideas of seminal Western and non-Western thinkers; historians and philosophers who have had a profound influence on historical understanding and the practice of historians. Topics include the following questions: What is history? To what extent has the understanding of history changed in various times, places, and cultures? Are "scientific" history and the discovery of objective truth possible? Do stable civilizational identities exist and what value do such concepts have for historical understanding? The course examines the contemporary political, social, and cultural relevance of these and comparable questions through intensive readings, discussions, and analytical papers.