99年第2學期-0186 西洋文化史 課程資訊

評分方式

評分項目	配分比例	說明
Midterm exam	40	Definition, identification and critical thinking and writing topics.
Final exam	40	Definition, identification and critical thinking and writing topics.
End of semester writing assignment	20	Take home essay topic.

教育目標

The course introduces students to the history of Western civilization from its beginnings in the ancient Near East and the Greek-Roman world to approximately WWI (1914-18). The course aims to: 1. Help students build a solid foundation for their study of British, American, and other Western literatures, languages, and cultural media in the English Majors Program. Students will examine major historical figures and periods which figure prominently in many courses (e.g. Socrates, Julius Caesar, Martin Luther, the Renaissance, etc.) and also familiarize themselves with key cultural concepts (e.g. ethnocentrism, artifact, taboo, ideology, etc.) 2. Study the process whereby different aspects of Western civilization (e.g. Greek political ideals, the Roman legal tradition, Christianity, the industrial revolution, colonialism, etc.) have become important influences on world history. 3. Examine critically thematic questions such as, e.g.: would it be more appropriate to acknowledge the continuity between East and West and speak of Eurasian civilization? Should one continue to use the singular concept “Western civilization” or is it more appropriate to talk about “Western civilizations” in the plural? Can one speak in this age of globalization of the emergence of a new world civilization or is this notion yet another example of cultural imperialism? 4. Offer students perspectives on Western civilization which will encourage an understanding of all human culture as a construct and thus foster critical thought regarding many aspects of the human experience (such as, e.g., ideology, gender roles, etc.)

基本資料

必修課，學分數：2-2
上課時間：二/6,7[LAN005]
修課班級：外文系1
修課年級：年級以上
選課備註：重修班

參考書目

Marvin Perry: Western Civilization: A Brief History (6th edition; 2008)
Instructor’s handouts and Powerpoint presentations
Selected films and documentaries