The course will start with a discussion of some fundamental concepts such as civilization and society. A comparative analysis of different civilizations categorized under the ancient and medieval worlds will follow. The aim will be to provide a broad and cross-cultural overview of lines and elements connecting and separating different geographies.

The aim of this course is to provide the necessary background for further studies in the various fields of Political Science and International Relations Studies, specifically Political History. The main goal is to enable us to learn how to analyze and more fully understand the accumulation of human history, applying this knowledge to the study of Politics and International Relations. Throughout the course, students will tackle some questions, such as: How does human history evolve? Why do the civilizations born? How do different cultures respond one way or another to various situations? What is the role of ideas and beliefs in world history?

In addition, It aims to improve students’ civil-professional competencies i.e., improving verbal communication, public speaking, critical thinking/writing, and last but not least, the various forms of writing skills –analysis paper, conference info notes etc., for career opportunities, such as risk consulting. Since this course aims to develop various skills and qualifications, grading will be based on your improvement. The assessment consists of four units: two-short assignments, an exam, and creative work.

The course will start with a discussion of some fundamental concepts such as civilization and society. A comparative analysis of different civilizations categorized under the ancient and medieval worlds will follow. The aim will be to provide a broad and cross-cultural overview of lines and elements connecting and separating different geographies.

Student reading, writing, and class participation are essential for success. This course is structured as a combination of lecture-based primarily and supported by Socratic seminars[1], which require collaborative intellectual dialogue facilitated with open-ended questions about a weekly assigned text. Quantitative methods will not be utilized, though students are expected to read and understand graphic material that illustrates social scientific data.

Writing assignments are the core component of this class. Based on the weekly readings, students will write two short critical commentary papers (3-4 pages). Those students who wrote the papers for the particular week should be prepared to discuss their ideas in class. The student is also advised to familiarize his/herself –at least one from each- with mainstream national, regional and global daily newspapers, news agencies, political magazines, journals and periodic publications and also websites of countries’ political and bureaucratic institutions. Alternative and non-mainstream institutions have a wealth of information, all accessible online. The student is also strictly advised to familiarize themselves with the world map and historical atlas.

Colin McEvedy, The New Penguin Atlas of Ancient History: Revised Edition, Penguin Books, NY, 2003.

Colin McEvedy, The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History: Revised Edition (Hist Atlas), Penguin Books, NY, 2003.

David Carrasco, The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2011.

Gary L. Hauck, Exploring the Human Spirit: An introduction to the Humanities, 2nd Ed. Pearson, 2010.

F. David Martin and Lee Jacobus, Humanities Through the Arts, 9th Edition, 2014

Fiero, Gloria K., Landmarks in Humanities. 5th ed. McGraw, 2015.

George Andrew, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Penguin, 2003

Gloria K. Fiero, The Humanistic Tradition: Prehistory to the Early Modern World, Vol. I, 6th ed., 2015

Homer, The Iliad, Fagles (tr.), Penguin, 1990

William H. McNeil, A World History, Oxford University Press; 4th edition, 1998.

J.R. McNeill, W. H. McNeill, The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye View of World, WW Norton & Co., NY, 2003.

Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, 1937