Against this background we will study the history of the nuclear age, analyze issues and topics such as the profound impact upon individual and social values of the threat of a nuclear holocaust, and the complexities and dangers of developing nuclear strategies. Our convergent aim is to explore the complex relationships between scientific discoveries and technological developments in the nuclear field, and their impact upon contemporary values and lives. Every image embodies a way of seeing. We will also discuss the unique characteristics of photography in our never ending search for the meaning within and behind what we see. An exploration of the history of works created with, and about, computers, and an analysis of ways in which computers may be changing traditional definitions of arts and humanities, and consideration of future possibilities.
Class includes lecture, discussion, slide presentation, and film.
An examination of the Don Juan legend through literary, feminist, psychological and musical representations. Included will be an emphasis on female characters such as Carmen and Lulu and their dual lives in literature and music. This course examines the idea of evolution, from its antecedents to its formulation in Darwin's mind, to its various impacts on literature and philosophy down to the present day. Special attention will be paid to California agricultural production as a context in which to think about large philosophical issues such as democracy, labor, cultural identity, and our relationship to the earth as well as to our own humanity.