Course Outline:

Lecture and Reading Topics

Topics / Reading in Textbook

  1. Introductory Matters: Approaches to World History  ... Heritage, I
    1. Global Geography ... "Global Geography" (Webpage)
    2. Cultures and Modes of Production ... "Civilizations, Organizing Production..." (Webpage)
  2. Human Origins and Early Cultures ... Heritage, I, II, V (147-163), & XV (373-385)
    1. Religion; Gods and Goddesses
    2. Political Organization, Agriculture & Technology: Production & Civilization 
  3. Meaning and Origins of Civilization

             A.   Urbanization, literacy & other characteristics

             B.   Enduring Eurasian-African Traditions

                    1. Confucianism

                    2. Hinduism

                    3. Judaism

                    4. Hellenism

                    5. Sub-Saharan Africa & the Americas to 1000

IV.   Roots of Western Civilization

             A.  Mesopotamian Civilization to c. 539

             B.  Egyptian Civilization

             C.  Eastern Mediterranean & Hebrew Civilizations

V.   Hellenic and Hellenistic Civilization: the Greek Traditions  Heritage, III

              A. Homeric & Hellenic Greece and the Polis

              B. Early Materialist Thought: Democritus & Atomism

              C. Pythagoras & the Garden School

              D. Plato and Platonism

              E. Aristotle and Aristotelianism

              F. Alexander the Great and Hellenistic Civilization

             G. Greek Traditions in the Arts and Literature

VI.  Mesopotamian and Indian Civilization: South and West Asia ... Heritage, IV & X

             A. The Persian tradition from Xoroaster to the Sasanids

             B. Indoaryan invasions of South Asia and Hinduism

             C. Mauryan Empire & political organization under Hinduism

             D. Buddhism & Jain

             E. Guptan Period

             F. Arts and Literature of South and West Asia

VII.  East Asian Civilization ... Heritage, VII-IX

             A. China to 220

             B. Foundation of the Confucian tradition

             C. Imperial China 220 to 1368

             D. Japan to 1000

             E. East Asian Arts and Literature

VIII. Roman Civilization... Heritage, VI & XII, pp. 324-332

             A. Early Republican Rome

             B. Gracchan Rome to Death of Julius Caesar

             C. Monarchical Rome and its legacy

             D. Roman Philosophies and Religions

             E. The Christian tradition

             F. Roman and Christian Traditions in the Arts and Literature

IX.   Islamic Civilization ... Heritage, XI

             A. Foundation of the Islamic tradition & its spread

             B. Islamic empire to 945

             C. Moslem Science and Mathematics under the Abbasids

             D. Moslem Culture under the Abbasids

X.   Medieval European Civilization to 1000 ... Heritage, XII, pp. 332-346

             A. Barbarian Invasion and the Fall of Rome

             B. Western European Feudalism

             C. The Carolingian legacy

             D. Latin Church, Monasticism, and the Cluniac Reforms

             E. Arts and Literature of the Early Middle Ages