Heritage: The Living Past

History can best be grasped by understanding the big picture: the great conversations, the great civilizations, and the philosophical paradigms that drove major eras of world history.  In this course we will survey these civilizations, providing a basic knowledge of the various and colorful civilizations that  make up the 21^st century.  By the end of the course, we will attempt to identify the current global questions facing these 9 civilizations as they enter the globalization realities of the 21^st century. The specific objectives are:

• To gain a general understanding of the history and development of civilizations
• To understand the power of our heritage in shaping everyday life
• To motivate future interest in our cultural heritage as a tool in shaping our world
• To spark interest in continued lifelong education in our heritage
• To sketch a future course use of our heritage in our lifework