What is "Modern Western Civilization?"
Deconstructing the Categories
The "West" of "Western Civilization: Where is it? (
World Map
)
"Pernicious Binaries:" The problem with the terms "civilization" and "modern"
Alternatives to "Modern Western Civilization" and their inadequacy
Western Civ Textbooks As Illustration (
A
,
B
,
C
,
D
)
Thesis: "Western Civilization" is a fiction; it refers to something that does not exist
Reconstructing the Categories
Realities
Individual Human Beings
Identifications: Self, Difference, The World
Practices, Beliefs, Claims
Exercise: who are you and how do you define yourself in relation to others and the world?
Thesis: "Western Civilization" is a fact; it refers to a set of ideas rather than a thing
Mental map v. Geographical map
Pursuing the History of the Mental Map "Western Civilization"
The Necessity of Avoiding Textbooks
History without Genealogy
The Emphasis upon Intellectual History
The Proper Role of History and Geography
Time, Place, and Change
From "Europe and the World" to the "Global Village"
The Centrality of Critical Engagement
"Western Civilization" is an assertion, not a thing; It is claimed, not found
"Westerners" are those who adopt this mental map as their own
"Westerners" often disagree because "Western Civilization" is often contradictory
You make and remake "Western Civilization" when you scrutinize the mental map
The history of "Western Civilization" is the record of this critical engagement over time
This course, then, both studies the history of "Western Civilization" and participates in it
