Course Description
01:510:401 The Idea of Europe: 18th Century to the Present
- Academic Credits: 3
- Mode of Instruction: Lecture
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Syllabus Disclaimer: The information on this syllabus is subject to change. For up-to-date course information, please refer to the syllabus on your course site (Sakai, Canvas, etc.) on the first day of class.
- Cross-listed Course: 01:306:401
Credit will not be given for both this course and the cross-listed course.
Course Description
Europe. The West. The “civilized,” or “free,” or “advanced” world. Such phrases have little to do with geography. They represent values and ideals--ideals often contradictory, and always in tension with lived realities. They have been used to distinguish what is “European” from what is not—and to divide as well as unite those living on the (sub-)continent. But what is Europe—even in terms of geography? Who is a European? How have such notions been useful, and in what ways less so? Is the collection notion of “Europe” rapidly losing any meaning? This course will examine enduring and transforming answers to these questions proposed in the last centuries, focusing on their relevance for today’s Europe and its place in the world—and on how this matters to us.
