11/04/08

"What I have observed... during the voyage to and from the land of Brazil, called America... may well be called a New World with respect to us." -- Jean de Léry, History of a Voyage to the Land of Brazil

Origins of the Modern World

This course is the first of a two-semester sequential course (IHON 111-112) that introduces students to the International Honors program, an interdisciplinary alternative to Pacific Lutheran University’s “core” curriculum. In IHON 111, we will consider the diverse ways in which various international communities since the time of Ancient Rome have reflected on the responsibilities of “self” and “authority” towards the “other” in society.  We will study the three great civilizations that became the heirs of Ancient Rome (the Byzantine Empire, Islamic Civilization, and Western Europe), and we will reflect on two interdisciplinary questions along the way: “What does it mean to be human?” and “What does it mean to live in community?”  Throughout the semester we will analyze historical, literary, philosophical, religious, and artistic sources that continue to inform, misinform, reinforce, or shape the way individuals and communities are perceived within society.  The content in this course is compatible with, but is not identical to, the other sections of IHON 111 offered in Fall 2008.

Note: Fall 2008 IHON 111 students (all sections) are required to attend three student colloquia on Thursdays during Fall 2008, which offer an opportunity to gather as a group and discuss interesting topics.  During Fall 2008, the dates and times are:

Current International Honors 111 students will find the following items of interest for our Fall 2008 course: