The Foundations of Western Civilization 1

[Karishma Pais]

From: The Attic <mi...@theatticdelhi.org>

THE ATTIC 36 REGAL BUILDINGS, NEW DELHI TEL: 23746050          The Foundations of Western Civilization– an education in 24 evenings. An Attic video presentation from The Great Courses taught by Prof. Thomas Noble, University of Norte Dame. You can discover the essential nature, evolution, and perceptions of Western civilization from its humble beginnings in the great river valleys of Iraq and Egypt to the dawn of the modern world. This series of 48 half hour lectures - 2 per evening on the 2nd and 4th Monday’s of every month will be introduced by an eminent professor/personality who will also answer questions. The events and the course are free. The title of each lecture is listed below.   6.30 pm monday 7th may Lecture 1 – “Western”, “Civilization” and “Foundations” These three seemingly simple words demand reflection. Where is the West? Who is Western? If civilization means cities, where do those come from? And when we look at history, how do we tell what is truly foundational from what may be merely famous? What is the difference between celebrity and distinction?   Lecture 2 – History begins at Sumer The earliest traces of civilization appeared in Sumer, in what is now southern Iraq.The Uruk period 3800 to 3200 B.C was tremendously creative with the invention of the wheel and plough: the planting of the first orchards of dates, figs and olives and most significant, cuneiform writing.Sumer became—along with Egypt—one of the two foundations of Western civilization.   6.30 pm monday 21st may Lecture 3 – The Gift of the Nile As Sumer was the gift of the Tigris and Euphrates, so Egypt—a ribbon of fertile floodplain 750 miles long but not much more than 15 miles wide—has been called "the gift of the Nile." But the differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia tell us as much as the similarities. Quite simply, the first thing you need to know about Egypt: no Nile, no Egypt.   Lecture 4 – The Hebrews – Small States & Big Ideas Two groups, speaking Semitic languages emerged after the Egyptians. The Phoenicians who created one of the first commercial empires the world had seen, anticipating the Athenians, Venetians and Dutch.  Much of Hebrew history is shrouded in legend. Israel was built by the descendants of Abraham. Moses arose as a leader who forged a people during the Exodus, a long process of departing from Egypt and reentering the “promised land’’. Judaism  bequeathed to the West crucial religious ideas.         THE FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION         1 "Western", "Civilization" and "Foundations" 2 History Begins at Sumer 3 Egypt-The Gift of the Nile 4 The Hebrews-Small States and Big Ideas 5 A Succession of Empires 6 Wide-Ruling Agamemnon 7 Dark Age and Archaic Greece 8 The Greek Polis-Sparta 9 The Greek Polis-Athens 10 Civic Culture-Architecutre and Drama 11 The Birth of History 12 From Greek Religion to Socratic Philosopy 13 Plato and Aristotle 14 The Failure of the Polis and the Rise of Alexander 15 The Hellenistic World 16 The Rise of Rome 17 The Roman Republic-Government and Politics 18 Roman Imperialism 19 The Culture of the Roman Republic 20 Rome-From Republic to Empire 21 The Pax Romana 22 Rome's Golden and Silver ages 23 Jesus and the New Testament 24 The Emergence of a Christian Church 25 Late Antiquity-Crisis and Response 26 Barbarians and Emperors 27 The Emergence of the Catholic Church 28 Chiristian Culture in Late Antiquity 29 Muhammad and Islam 30 The Birth of Byzantium 31 Barbarian Kingdoms in the West 32 The World of Charlemagne 33 The Carolingian Renaissance 34 The Expansion of Europe 35 The Chivalrous Society 36 Medieval Political Traditions,I 37 Medieval Political Traditions,II 38 Scholastic Culture 39 Vernacular Culture 40 The Crisis of Renaissance Europe 41 The Renaissance Problem 42 Renaissance Portraits 43 The Northern Renaissance 44 The Protestant Reformation-Martin Luther 45 The Protestant Reformation-John Calvin 46 Catholic Reforms and "Confessionalization" 47 Exploration and Empire 48 What Challenges Remain?            follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  THE ATTIC 36 REGAL BUILDING NEW DELHI 110001 TEL: 23746050

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