The fall semester of this course currently contains an exploration of the canonic western ideals located in the Athenian polis of classical Greece. Their linkage to Enlightenment Europe, the immediate predecessors of the founding philosophies of American democracy, is also studied. As the crucible of modernity, the Renaissance creates a touchpoint for our second semester exploration of the modern world. Our interest in this era has grown directly out of the Honors curriculum and has been enhanced by recent course work which explored the art and culture of Renaissance and Baroque Europe. The reconnection with classical Greek ideals which helped to spark the Italian Renaissance found voice in literature, philosophy, art and architecture, ultimately turning the face of western society toward a renewed interest in everything human.
Textbooks alone can never provide the understanding to be gained through direct experience.
We will use our time in Florence to investigate the culture and art of the city as a prelude to a summer long exploration of these subjects. We are particularly interested in the similarities between the Florentine city state and that of the Greek polis, as well as the linkage between classical antiquity and the flowering of the Italian Renaissance. As the art of Renaissance Florence is deeply tied to its civic and religious institutions, we intend to use it as a mechanism to explore these issues with our classes. Thus, we will take digitized slides of the works we encounter as we do our research. These slides will become important supporting material in our classes.