Themes, Themes, Themes

You can’t go into all that much detail studying three centuries of global history in 15 weeks. So our approach—and frankly, the only approach that makes sense to me—will be to learn about our world’s origins thematically. This means looking at broad concepts, not narrow facts. Despite what you may have experienced in other classes, the study of history is not “one damn thing after another,” as a cynic once said. It is not a succession of names and dates and kings and queens. History is a window on understanding what makes the world “tick,” on the relationships and contexts that can explain why things are what they are. Some of the most powerful moments in historical study often emerge when the topic under discussion - from "long ago and far away" - suddenly shines a light on something that happened yesterday. So the themes we examine—the origins of modern politics, modern economics, modern cultural expressions, modern ideas—are ways to open the window and see the world we’re living in a little more clearly. Broadly speaking, we will work chronologically—from roughly 1700 to the present, more or less. But our emphasis will be on those themes, and on illustrating how the themes play out over that century. This might mean we gloss over or seem to ignore a subject you think is important. If that happens, don't let the moment go by. Point it out to me and to the class. The chances are very good we'll be able to quickly find a way to bring that subject into our work.