Module COMB1011: THE HUMANITIES IN THE MODERN WORLD

Department: Combined Honours

COMB1011: THE HUMANITIES IN THE MODERN WORLD

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To provide an introduction to the study of the arts and humanities.
• To explore the Enlightenment and its significance for modern thought.
• To explore the concept of interpretation and the evolution of hermeneutics.
• To introduce students in Combined Honours in Arts to concepts and perspectives which might inform their thinking in specific disciplines and their reflections on the connections between them.

Content

• This module provides an introduction to the study of the arts and humanities through explorations in the history of ideas. It is concerned with what unites ‘the humanities’, as a set of disciplines distinct from the social sciences and the natural sciences, and the way in which our understanding of the nature and purpose of the humanities has been shaped by a particular intellectual, social, and cultural history. The first section of the module focuses on the place of the Enlightenment in this history, surveying the characteristic ideas of the period, and exploring different accounts of the significance of these ideas in the eighteenth century and in later times. The second section of the module focuses on the idea of interpretation, which is fundamental to the humanities, tracing the evolution of the theory of interpretation – and therefore the understanding of understanding itself – in post-Enlightenment thought.

Learning Outcomes

• A general understanding of key characteristics of the humanities.
• Knowledge of important themes in the thought of Enlightenment thinkers.
• An understanding of differing evaluations of the legacy of the Enlightenment.
• Knowledge of essential concepts in the evolution of the theory of interpretation.
• An understanding of the significance of interpretation in the arts and humanities.

• The ability to identify, analyse, and evaluate specific concepts.
• The ability to discuss ideas in relation to their social and cultural history.
• The ability to evaluate the significance of specific concepts for the humanities.

• The ability to locate, evaluate, and summarise information drawn from a variety of sources, both in print and online.
• The ability to communicate ideas, in a clear, concise, and convincing manner, with reference to appropriate supporting evidence.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module is taught by a series of lectures which explore key ideas and stimulate students to consider how they view a variety of issues in the arts and humanities. Seminars allow students to discuss these ideas further and to relate them to the texts that they have read. The essay allows students to explore a topic at reasonable length and show their understanding of how it relates to other issues. The exam uses an essay and gobbets to test students' range and depth of knowledge at the end of the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

1 x 2500 word assignment in Michaelmas term.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University