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3500 BCE — 500 BCE
6 pp.
Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species
7 pp.
History and the Historian Excerpts from the work of four historians illuminate the problems (and the joys) of the craft. Herodotus (ca 484u420 BCE) entertains his audiences with fanciful tales. Ibn Khaldun (1332u1406 CE) contributes an insightful scrutiny of the responsibilities of historians as they analyze and interpret materials. In Sundiata, a thirteenth-century African describes the role of griots (traditional storyteller/entertainers) in the preservation and transmission of historical knowledge. Finally, the first-century Han dynasty historian, Sima Qian, reflects on his decision to accept a painful and humiliating penalty rather than leave his work unfinished.
5 pp.
Hammurabi’s Code The harsh laws of ancient Mesopotamia reveal a society concerned with fairness as well as maintaining hierarchical stability and protecting property rights. Students may discern clues to Mesopotamian society's sense of order, rank, and equity. As the semester progresses, students should be able to use this selection as a basis for detecting both universal concerns and differences in social organization between various societies.
7 pp.
Epic of Gilgamesh The adventures of an ancient Mesopotamian king and his friend, the wild Enkidu, combine appealing human aspects with rich symbolism. The narrator's description of the character of Enkidu allows readers to detect the attitudes of settled agricultural societies toward the less highly organized pastoral groups. Students will also be able to identify early forms of enduring myths.
4 pp.
Egyptian Book of the Dead This selection sheds light on the moral and religious code of an ancient people and their concept of appropriate behavior. Students should be able to detect hints of the Egyptians' worldview in this document. By comparing this excerpt with Hammurabi's Code, they will also be able to begin developing an understanding of some similarities and differences between ancient cultures.
7 pp.
The Old Testament
11 pp.
Creation Stories: Enuma Elish, Rig Veda, Popul Vuh and Old Testament
6 pp.
Rig Veda This selection of hymns expresses the concerns and values of a mobile warrior society living under very different conditions than the more settled peoples of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Students will be able to develop skills in understanding the concerns of ancient people by analyzing their religious concepts. By comparing this selection with former documents, students will also become aware that variations in living conditions often produce differences in social structure.
7 pp.
Upanishads The Upanishads are a group of religious and philosophical treatises that may have grown from the meeting of religious beliefs of Aryan and Dravidian traditions. These selections illustrate Hindu conceptions of the nature of reality, of life, death, and the laws of Karma. Students are given the opportunity to consider a sophisticated worldview very different from that of modern American and European cultures.
8 pp.
Women and the Law in the Ancient World
7 pp.
Popul Vuh A Mayan legend based on familiar mythological themes of betrayal, death, and revenge may give students a sense of the ancient Mayan warrior traditions. No written version of the myth survived the Spanish conquest, so modern readers are dependent upon the work of Catholic missionaries who preserved the oral tales. Many aspects of the myths may result from innate human concerns, but someusuch as the miraculous virgin birthumay in fact arise from the influence of Christianity.
8 pp.
The Mystery of God: The Righteous Sufferer and the Book of Job
4 pp.
Zhou Book of Songs The unforgettable beauty of Zhou dynasty poetry, dating from the seventh century BCE, brings the pleasures and struggles of Chinese life into clear focus. These selections represent the thoughts of peasants and women rather than focusing on courtly life or esoteric philosophical questions. It is a rare opportunity for students to make emotional connections with people distant in time.
500 BCE — 500 CE
5 pp.
Herodotus, The Histories Herodotus is widely acknowledged as the earliest historian in the Western tradition despite his propensity for uncritically repeating bizarre legends. This selection from Herodotus's description of the Persian Wars (490-449 BCE) gives students an opportunity to evaluate the credibility of a primary source as they consider the influence of underlying objectives on the interpretation of historic events.
10 pp.
The Greek Character: Excerpts from Homer, Euripides, Plato and Herodotus Widely varied selections of literary works that consider the ancient Greek concept of honor assist the student in forming an opinion regarding the nature of Greek culture. A selection from The Iliad depicts a warrior society seemingly obsessed with the trappings of rank. Medea is a tale of betrayal, fury, and revenge, while Plato's The Apology shows Socrates preferring death to the personal dishonor, which would arise if he abandoned his quest for truth. Herodotus pursues the theme in a selection from The Histories in which he depicts the Athenians as they choose to oppose an enemy with overwhelming strength rather than betray their fellow Greeks by accepting peace at the cost of freedom.
5 pp.
Confucius, Analects The writings of Confucius (Kong Fuzi), which form the basis of Chinese Philosophy, arose during a time of chaotic disunity. Through the humor and wisdom of The Analects, students should be able to detect timeless Chinese perceptions about the functions of correct behavior and education in promoting social well-being.
5 pp.
Mencius, The Mencius Mencius (Meng-zi) believed that attempts to govern through threats and violence were doomed to failure. He further developed Confucian thought as he considered the role of human responsibility in the conduct of both rulers and subjects. Students should gain a deeper appreciation for Chinese cultural assumptions through considering Mencius's use of the concepts of shame and benevolence to influence human behavior.
5 pp.
Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian (Origins of the Han Dynasty) Official histories of Chinese dynasties are an important source of information, but generally, their primary objective is to lend legitimacy to the dynasty's rule. In this instance, however, the historian Sima Qian paid a painful and humiliating price for his pursuit of truth. The selection provides an opportunity for students to consider the historian's underlying motivation for writing in addition to his reasons for including specific tales.
7 pp.
Women and the Ancient Historians: Procopius, Herodotus and Suetonius This collection examines the depiction of women in the work of three writers in an attempt to glean attitudes of ancient societies toward women, assisting students in development of skills in evaluating the motives and biases of ancient writers. Herodotus focuses on exotic gender roles and sexual behavior in distant lands. Suetonius scrupulously examines the relationship between the Emperor Tiberius and his mother, Livia. Procopius's work is a vitriolic attack on one specific woman, the Empress Theodora
3 pp.
Sappho: Selected Poems This selection from the poems of the ancient poet illustrates an aspect of Greek life not emphasized in the earlier selections. Sappho's love poems gave rise to the modern terms Sapphic and lesbian, but we actually know very little about her. Students are encouraged to look beyond the scandalous rumors regarding her life to consider the timeless, human qualities the work reveals in the ancient Greeks.
8 pp.
Bhagavad Gita The Gita, one of India's most popular epic poems, is a profound reflection on Hindu perceptions of the nature of reality, emphasizing the underlying perceptions of unity that permeate South Asian religious philosophy. The conversations between the warrior Arjuna and his charioteer (an avatar of the god Krishna) delve into the deeper implications of concepts of dharma, karma, and samsara.
4 pp.
Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars In this selection, the historian Suetonius recounts episodes from the life of Julius Caesar. He chose a variety of incidents that illustrate both Caesar's heroic qualities and the more unattractive aspects of his personality. Students may be able to detect hints about the Roman attitude toward heroes while gaining insight into the characters of both Julius Caesar and the historian Suetonius.
11 pp.
Women in the Epics: Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid and Ramayana
6 pp.
Aristotle, Ethics The Greek philosopher Aristotle had a profound influence on the development of Western thought. This selection allows students a glimpse into Aristotle's mind and may assist them as they begin understanding the impact of Aristotelian thought on European intellectual efforts in areas as diverse as religion, science, and logic.
6 pp.
Ramayana This epic tale about the adventures of King Rama remains one of the most popular and important expressions of Indian culture. The memorable cast of characters, many of whom personify specific vices or virtues, offers important clues to the underlying values of Hindu society. By comparing this work with the Rig Veda and the Upanishads selections, the students may deepen and expand their understanding of early developments in Hinduism and Indian culture.
7 pp.
Plato, The Republic The Republic is one of the most important and profound works in Western philosophy. Students are asked to consider the meaning of “The Simile of the Cave'' and to assess its relevance to modern philosophy and theology. This work not only provides insight into the development of Western thought, but also illustrates the lasting influence of ancient Greece on the modern world.
10 pp.
Greek Tragedy and Comedy: Antigone and Lysistrata
7 pp.
Homer, Iliad Many historians believe that The Iliad is the most comprehensive representation of ancient Greek societal standards and ethics. The selections presented center on the character of Hektor, who personifies the glory as well as the tragedy involved in living in accordance with a stern, unyielding warrior code. A comparison of this epic with the Bhagavad-Gita selection will assist students in developing an appreciation of the philosophical variations between ancient peoples.
7 pp.
Virgil, Aeneid Virgil's epic embodies Roman ideals and values in a manner similar to that of the Bhagavad-Gita and Iliad selections for Indian and Greek societies respectively, yet with an added layer of political significance. Virgil's personification of the relationship between the cool, rational Aeneas and fiery, passionate Queen Dido reveals much about the Roman self-image after their victory in the Punic Wars.
6 pp.
Thucydides, The History of the Peloponnesian War Pericles' Funeral Speech, as recounted by Thucydides, emphasizes the greatness of Athens. Students are asked to consider the motives of both Pericles and Thucydides, and whether or not Pericles' assertions of Athens' virtue are supported by the information provided in the textbook and class lectures. Through this exercise, students will further develop skills in detecting and analyzing politically motivated rhetoric.
10 pp.
The Roman Character: Excerpts from Virgil, Plutarch and Suetonius
6 pp.
The New Testament
5 pp.
Plato, The Apology of Socrates Athenians arrested and tried Socrates on the charge of encouraging immorality and corrupting young people. In this work, Plato, a student of Socrates, describes Socrates' decision to choose death rather than abandon his search for truth. Students may also recognize a timeless element in the conflicts that arise when notions of civic or patriotic responsibility clash with personal conceptions of ethics and morality.
4 pp.
St. Augustine, The City of God Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, wrote The City of God while the city of Rome was enduring its declining years. St. Augustine's notions regarding the contrasts between spiritual and physical realms provide clues about the impact of Rome on the early development of Christian thought. The student will also be able to gain insight into the complicated relationship between Christian theologians and pagan philosophers.
4 pp.
Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian (Xiongnu) As the writings of the Han historian Sima Qian illustrate, the association between the settled, agricultural Chinese and the nomadic peoples on their border has always been complex. This passage should help students expand their understanding of that relationship. Students should also be encouraged to question the portrayal of “barbaric'' peoples by their more settled neighbors.
6 pp.
Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander This article considers aspects of the character of Alexander the Great as seen through the eyes of the Roman statesman, Arrian, who wrote about 400 years after Alexander's death. Arrian had access to biographies and records lost to posterity, making the work valuable to modern scholars; however, in the work, one may also detect the use of the mythology surrounding Alexander as adapted to suit Roman needs. Students develop skills in recognizing the use of historical writings in support of political or societal agendas.
500 CE — 1000 CE
4 pp.
Procopius, Secret History Procopius makes no secret of his intense dislike for the people about whom he wrote, Justinian and Theodora of Byzantium. Just as the selection, “Records of the Grand Historian,'' provided an opportunity for students to consider historians' nobler motives, this selection gives them an opportunity to consider other possible reasons for writing histories. The work also provides a striking illustration of the difficulty in evaluating primary source material.
10 pp.
Quran Passages from the Quran, the holy book of Islam, explore the basic tenants of Islamic belief and should assist in dispelling many of the current Western misconceptions while illustrating much about the Islamic concepts of the nature of Allah, heaven and hell. The presence of familiar characters -- such as Mary, Jesus, and Zachariah -- draws attention to the developmental relationship between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
4 pp.
The Establishment of Buddhism in Korea The spread of Buddhism throughout Asia, like that of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, gave rise to many extraordinary tales of miracles and sacrifices. This selection gives students the opportunity to consider commonality in religious traditions as well as the ways in which supernatural conceptions merge with historical data in cultural lore.
3 pp.
Jelalludin Rumi, Selected Poems These selections from the work of the thirteenth-century Persian poet illustrate the impact of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. The Sufis believe that ultimate truth lies in the emotional and spiritual realm rather than the logical, rational aspects of life. As students consider this work in conjunction with the information in lectures and their textbook, they should be able to develop an appreciation of the variations among Islamic peoples in their religious perceptions.
5 pp.
Tu Fu and Li Po, Selected Poems The poems of two Tang Dynasty poets provide a glimpse into the hearts of people who lived more than a millennium ago. This collection provides an excellent example of the historical value of literary art forms. Students will be able to detect clues about daily life in eighth-century China while they enjoy the work of two very insightful artists.
6 pp.
The Tale of the Heike This tragic epic illustrates the impact of medieval Samurai codes on concepts of loyalty and responsibility. The work embodies aspects of Japanese culture in the same way that Ramayana and The Iliad illustrate Indian and Greek traditions. Although Chinese and Japanese societies have much in common, a comparison of this work with the poems by Tu Fu and Li Po will call attention to many of the important philosophical differences.
4 pp.
Sei Shonagon, The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon This work, written by a woman of the imperial court, reveals a more human side of Japanese life than The Tale of the Heike. Through Sei Shonagon's observations, students may gain insight into the everyday life of upperclasses in eleventh-century Japan as they consider the observations of a remarkable woman.
6 pp.
Einhard, The Life of Charlemagne
4 pp.
Omar Khayyám, The Rubáiyát Like Rumi, above, Omar Khayy?m was a Persian poet who was strongly influenced by Sufi mysticism. This selection from Edward Fitzgerald's translation of The Rub?iy?t has a strong appeal for Westerners. Although many scholars challenge the accuracy of Fitzgerald's rendition, it contains some of the loveliest and most quoted passages in the English language. This work will illustrate for students the hazards of translation as well as the artistic inspiration that frequently results from cross-cultural pollination.
5 pp.
Abelard and Heloise, Historia Calamitatum and Letters We generally envision medieval philosophers as passionless introverts consumed with arcane, irrelevant issues. The timeless romance of Abelard and Heloise dispels that image while providing clues about the prevailing notions of revenge and family honor. Students will also be able to consider the value of memoirs and letters as historical sources.
7 pp.
Rule of St. Benedict Many historians consider monasticism one of the great shaping forces of medieval Europe as religious centers tried to provide social structure after the dissolution of the Roman Empire. The Rule of St. Benedict, which emphasizes self-discipline and commitment, was prepared as a guide for life in monasteries. The work will assist students in appreciating the broader social impact of those organizations
5 pp.
Magna Carta
1000 CE — 1500 CE
5 pp.
Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah This selection contains excerpts from Ibn Khaldun's history of the Arab people. In the course of his ruminations, Khaldun reveals blind spots and biases in addition to some very perceptive insights. This work underscores the paradoxical nature inherent in the craft. Even though historians intend to record and interpret the past objectively, they cannot entirely detach themselves from the intellectual community of their own eras.
5 pp.
The Tale of the White Cowl Folklore arising from the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity merged the mythology of Roman power with European religious sensibilities. The association endured for more than a millennium. As this Russian legend shows, establishing oneself as the heir of Rome conferred both secular and religious legitimacy. The selection will provide students with an exceptional example of the political role of religious traditions.
4 pp.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain The first British ruling house confirmed its legitimacy by tracing the family's lineage back to the heroes of Rome and Greece, undoubtedly a manifestation of the near-universal drive of conquerors to authenticate their regimes by means other than force. By comparing this work with The Tale of the White Cowl, students will be able to assess the value of folklore in historical research.
5 pp.
Marco Polo, The Travels of Marco Polo Marco Polo's stories about the wonders of the Mongol empire stirred European imaginations for generations. Whether or not these stories were widely believed, they did turn the attention of merchants and missionaries toward the large populations and extraordinary wealth of the East. Students should gain insight into the roles trade and travelogues play in interesting isolated societies in other lands.
5 pp.
Establishment of the Chosen Dynasty in Korea Confucianism spread widely throughout the East, but there were many cultural variances in interpretation. As this selection shows, the relationship between scholars and the monarchy was generally much more confrontational in Korea than in China. Students may detect cultural and social factors that contributed to the differences in Chinese and Korean Confucianism.
5 pp.
Zhu Xi, Reflections on Things at Hand As the Establishment of the Chosen Dynasty in Korea selection illustrates, Confucianism continued to evolve through contact with new philosophic stimuli. This selection, representative of the Neo-Confucian movement, clearly draws inspiration from Buddhist and Taoist concepts. Students should be able to detect the new aspects of Confucian thought as they gain insight into traditional Chinese attitudes toward education and learning.
7 pp.
Accounts of the Ilkhans This work provides details of the Mongol capture of Baghdad and the conquerors' subsequent conversion to Islam. It may help students to understand how a relatively small group could overrun such a vast area. The passage also provides clues to the impact of more affluent, settled societies on nomadic warriors, illustrating one of history's recurring ironies. The term “Islam'' means to surrender: first, this group of Mongols conquered the Persian Muslims; then they themselves submitted to the faith of the subjugated people.
5 pp.
Origins of European Exploration
5 pp.
Sundiata This selection considers the mythology surrounding the childhood and first victories of Sundiata, the historical founder of the African kingdom, Mali. The excerpts are useful in considering both the social role of mythology and place of myths in historical analysis. Students gain skills in deducing the worldview of societies as well as evaluating the function of specific mythological characters in shaping and expressing cultural values.
6 pp.
Machiavelli, The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli has been much maligned by idealists, yet many political scientists consider The Prince to be the first European example of honest realpolitik. Students are asked to consider the instability of the Italian peninsula during the Renaissance before deciding whether Machiavelli was a cynical opportunist or simply a realist striving for a degree of political stability.
5 pp.
Cellini, The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini The European Renaissance was a time when an exciting new faith in human ability and achievement spread across Europe. In many ways, Benvenuto Cellini exemplifies the new celebratory exuberance of the age, although his self-confidence and passion may strike modern readers as self-centered or arrogant. In addition to gaining insight into the age, students will increase their grasp of the profound changes by comparing the Pope described by Cellini with the earlier European depictions of religious figures.
6 pp.
Christine de Pisan, The Book of the City of the Ladies Christine de Pisan's meditation on the limitations faced by European women during the late medieval period grew from her own experiences. Although born in Italy, Pisan spent most of her life in France. Married at age fourteen and widowed by the age of twenty-five, she resolved to support herself and her children through her writings. Her own ambivalence about “proper role'' of women should be very recognizable to modern students.
5 pp.
Anna Comnena, The Alexiad This selection contains excerpts from a Byzantine princess's account of the reign of her father, Emperor Alexius. Reading the descriptions of a loving daughter will allow students a glimpse into the more personal aspects of history as they search for clues regarding the character of the ruler and the role of the royal family. This will also provide students with an excellent opportunity to consider the appropriate use of family records in historical research.
4 pp.
Kihwa, Treatise on Manifesting Righteousness Buddhist and Confucian perspectives frequently clashed at first contact, but their subsequent dialogue often resulted in profound insights as philosophers attempted to reconcile ostensibly opposing views. This treatise, written by a Korean monk, is an excellent example of a powerful philosophical synthesis. Students should be able to identify the influences from both viewpoints in the work
7 pp.
St. Thomas Aquinas, The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas
1500 CE — 1750 CE
5 pp.
Bernal Diaz del Castillo, The Conquest of New Spain
5 pp.
Russian Expansion: Yermak’s Campaign in Siberia The actions of brave and determined warrior/explorers often have a devastating impact upon the peoples they encounter. In this selection, students are asked to consider the sixteenth-century expansion of Russia in relationship to the later expansion of the United States across the North American continent. They will find many elements of similarity, including the impetus of trade and a sense of divine mission.
6 pp.
English Constitutional Documents: Petition of Right and Bill of Rights
5 pp.
Heinrich Kramer & James Sprenger, Malleus Maleficarum This work is a conspicuous exception to the general rule that philosophical and theological musings lead to cultural enrichment. In a violent and frightening age, two monks searched for causation and ultimately placed blame on supernatural agents working through the least powerful members of their own society. As they explore the roots of the witchcraft persecutions, students may detect hints of a deep cultural misogyny exacerbated by the anxieties of the Reformation social milieu.
4 pp.
Ignatius Loyola, Autobiography Selections from Ignatius Loyola's autobiography provide insight into the personality of one of the most intriguing men of the Early Modern Age. In many ways, Loyola personifies the complexity of the Reformation and Counter-reformations; one could argue that his personal traits shaped the Society of Jesus, the organization he founded. These passages may assist students in understanding the drive of the Jesuits, who as the “soldiers of Christ'' applied a warrior ethos to their pursuit of their Christian missions.
6 pp.
Olahdah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano Slavery has existed for thousands of years, but the African slave trade in the nineteenth century reached an unprecedented scale. Few writers have been able to capture the horror and degradation of the experience to the degree expressed in Equiano's work. His account will enable students to understand the human costs represented by the raw numbers in textbooks and lectures as well as the desperate intensity of the Abolitionist movement.
4 pp.
Basho Matsuo, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
5 pp.
Babur, The Baburnama The memoirs of the founder of the Mogul empire in India offer insights into the mind of a conqueror. The work reveals a man who combines an engaging honesty and curiosity with a casual acceptance of widespread death and destruction. Although Babur himself was not especially religious, students will be able to discern the origins of the ongoing strife between India's religious groups from his attitude toward the conquered Hindu peoples. The work also provides an excellent opportunity for them to consider the value and limitations of memoirs as historical sources.
4 pp.
Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Account of Suleyman the Magnificent Westerners commonly envision the Ottoman Empire as a tottering relic with rapacious and depraved rulers. This account of a European visitor to the court of Suleyman the Magnificent dispels that perception, giving students a glimpse of the great wealth and power of the Ottomans at their height. This will also illustrate the propensity of ancient animosities to give rise to serious historical misconceptions.
4 pp.
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
6 pp.
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion
5 pp.
Yi Ik, Collected Essays The Jesuit missionaries of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were a group of highly educated European men who stirred controversy wherever they traveled. These essays by the Korean scholar Yi Ik illustrate the ambivalence that often accompanied these early contacts between societies. Students should be able to develop a deeper understanding of the precarious balance between appreciation and consternation as people struggle to understand and evaluate the merits of radically different cultures.
4 pp.
Jonathan Swift, Modest Proposal
6 pp.
Japanese Unification: Accounts of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa The men who unified Japan and established centralized control faced significant resistance. The writings of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu show their ruthless determination to eliminate all opposition. Looking beyond the immediate costs, students should be able to evaluate the nature of the dangers these leaders faced and decide whether they believe the benefits of unification justify the measures taken to control and isolate the population.
1750 CE — 1900 CE
5 pp.
Shen Fu, Six Records of a Floating Life
7 pp.
Mary Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Women The Enlightenment was a period of exciting intellectual activity as Europeans struggled to redefine nearly every aspect of human behavior and social organization. Philosophers of the period valued rationality above all human virtues, yet few of them were willing to ascribe that characteristic to women. Wollstonecraft very aptly takes them to task for the limitations women of the period endured. Students may note certain underlying societal continuities by comparing Wollstonecraft's charges with the views expressed in the Malleus Maleficarum selection.
5 pp.
Vaclav Prutky, Prutky’s Travels in Ethiopia Excerpts from the account of a Czech Franciscan about his travels through Egypt and Ethiopia will assist students in identifying and analyzing ethnocentrism in travel accounts as well as historical documents. Prutky was curious about the areas he visited, yet could not resist making unfavorable comparisons between those societies and his own. This selection will provide students with an opportunity to consider the subtle intrusion of subjective criteria into the materials upon which we form our evaluations of other cultures.
6 pp.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto
10 pp.
Documents of the French Revolution The French Revolution -- a response to conditions localized in France -- was one of those “epoch making'' events that challenged the stability of societies across the globe. A collection of documents dating from 1789 through 1794 will give students clues to the vast scope of reform undertaken. They will also be able to consider the impact of the philosophers of the Enlightenment on the views of the Revolutionaries as they tried to construct a new social order.
5 pp.
Johann Fichte, Addresses to the German Nation
5 pp.
Robert Owen, An Address to the Inhabitants of New Lanark Utopian Socialism grew as a reaction to the widespread misery that accompanied the massive social upheaval of the Industrial Revolution. Robert Owen was one of the pre-Marxian reformers who tried to engineer a better society. His intentions were to improve human living conditions, but his model community collapsed after only three years. A careful reading of this selection may assist students in detecting flaws in Owen's basic assumptions about human nature.
5 pp.
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
4 pp.
James Cook, The Three Voyages of Captain James Cook
5 pp.
Voltaire, Candide
6 pp.
The Human Cost of the Industrial Revolution: Engels and Dickens
7 pp.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract
5 pp.
Letter of Lin Zexu to Queen Victoria
4 pp.
Joseph Arthur de Gobineau, Essays on the Inequality of the Human Race
5 pp.
Emilia Moncorva Bandeira de Mello, “Aunt Zézé’s Tears” Throughout history, unmarried women in patriarchal societies have had very few choices. The story of Aunt Z?z? reveals the quiet desperation and sorrow of an aging woman enduring the indignities of a subservient, perpetually juvenile status. The sensitive and engaging story is also an excellent demonstration of the value of fiction in historical study.
6 pp.
Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House
6 pp.
Raja Rammohun Roy, The English Works of Raja Rammohun Roy European imperialism was undoubtedly the most powerful force of the modern age, yet it rarely involved the type of armed conquest that prevailed in earlier times, such as the Mongol era. Europeans were generally able to interject their authority only in states already destabilized by internal factors. From this work, students will deepen their understanding of imperialism as they reflect on the ambivalence of many first-generation colonized peoples.
Twentieth Century
3 pp.
Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front This novel, based on the experiences of a German soldier during World War I, is one of the most powerful anti-war statements in literature. Students should gain insight into the nature of twentieth-century warfare. As an additional benefit, a discussion about the reaction of contemporary American and British audiences and the Third Reich's attempts to suppress the work will illuminate aspects of wartime propagandizing.
5 pp.
Fawaz Turke, The Disinherited: Journal of a Palestinian Exile
7 pp.
Literature and the Human Cost of World War I
7 pp.
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf Many scholars consider Mein Kampf to be the logical culmination of the deadly mixture of imperialism, German Romanticism, and “scientific racism.'' This brutal, shocking excerpt illustrates for students the worldview that led to the most vicious genocidal acts in human memory. They will also be able to discern the role of “enemy making'' in arousing and unifying depressed populations.
5 pp.
Mao Zedong, Report on an Investigation of the Hunan Peasant Problem
5 pp.
Gandhi, An Autobiography, The Story of My Experiments With Truth
5 pp.
Nikita Khrushchev, Report to the Communist Party
5 pp.
Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
5 pp.
Kita Ikki, Plan for the Reorganization of Japan
7 pp.
Le Ly Hayship, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places
4 pp.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The bestiality of the world wars aroused an impulse among the victors to affirm the basic rights to life and dignity for all humans. As students read this remarkable document, it would be well for them to consider the historic abuses that provided inspiration for each of the articles and to evaluate the ability of the United Nations to guarantee implementation of the provisions.
5 pp.
Aung San Suu Kyi, Freedom From Fear Burmese political activist Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate, has been compared with Mohandas Gandhi of India. She believes that fear lies at the root of all forms of corruption, having the power to “stifle and slowly destroy all sense of right and wrong.'' These excerpts from her book, Freedom from Fear, clearly illustrate the compelling power of non-violent resistance.
4 pp.
Japanese War Plans: Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere This 1942 statement of goals for eastern Asia clearly reveals Japan's imperialistic drive to control the eastern hemisphere and hints at the complexity of Japanese motives. The document lays bare a naked will to power, yet hints at an underlying insecurity. From the Meiji Restoration onward, there had been a strong impetus in Japan to protect itself from European and American domination. The juxtaposition of this document with Aung San Suu Kyi's Freedom from Fear selection may inspire students to consider the relationship between fear and aggression.
6 pp.
Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex A new understanding of the restrictions faced by women grew from the post-war appreciation of women's ability to respond effectively during crises. As Beauvoir's work reveals, change was difficult. Many complex social and cultural factors influence women's roles and self-perceptions. While reviewing this powerful work, students will no doubt become aware of great changes in Western attitudes during the past decades, but they may also detect uncomfortable continuities.
7 pp.
Cold War Alternatives: Nehru, Nasser and Sukarno
6 pp.
Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth
4 pp.
Benito Mussolini, Fascism: Doctrines and Institutions
6 pp.
Beijing Declaration, Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women This report draws attention to gradual progress as well as enduring resistance to improvements in the status of women. A half-century earlier, it is doubtful that there would have been much support for guaranteeing full economic, educational, and political rights to women. Yet, as the Conference publicized, those worthy goals are still but a distant dream for millions of women. Students should be able to detect societal costs of continuing limitations on women as they consider the cultural and economic factors that have blocked attempts to achieve parity.
4 pp.
Sun Yat-sen, Three Principles of the People: Selected Writings In these excerpts, Sun Yat-sen, the “Father of Modern China,'' discusses his vision for a new China based on principles of nationalism, democracy, and the economic considerations. The selections provide an opportunity for class discussions about three of the most pressing issues of the modern world: the relationship between nationalism and colonialism, the tensions between the need for strong government and the desire for democratic participation, and the role of the domestic economic structure in establishing and maintaining political stability.
5 pp.
Pakistan: Writings of Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah The partition of Pakistan and India in 1947 and their subsequent dispute over the borderlands such as Kashmir remain relevant today. It is often difficult for those from the European tradition, in which the linkage between religious and secular issues is generally weak or nonexistent, to understand the passions of Hindu or Muslim separatists. Two Indian Muslim leaders discuss the reasons why they do not believe Hindus and Muslims can coexist in one Indian nation.
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