HUM 102H: Humanities from the Renaissance through the 19th Century - Honors

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2025
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Total Student Learning Hours: 162
Prerequisite: Student must be eligible for the Citrus College Honors Program or obtain a recommendation from an Honors instructor.
Strongly Recommended: ENGL C1000.
District General Education: C2. Humanities
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: Yes - Proposed
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

The humanistic studies are approached on five levels: art, history, music, literature, and philosophy. Begins with the European Renaissance and moves to the 19th century period of globalization. A critical in-depth reading of several primary sources is conducted in a discussion format. This is an Honors course. 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • synthesize the developments and trends of the several arts and the social sciences
  • draw inferences from a unified view of the progress of the humanities
  • compare and contrast the purpose of the arts
  • evaluate and draw conclusions from the study of the humanities
  • compare and contrast various philosophical perspectives from the Renaissance through the19th Century
  • discern perspectives in art/architecture, music/dance, literature, philosophy and history from various time periods and cultures

Major Course Content

  1. Introduction: Pre-history and the Rise of Civilization
    1. Mesopotamia
      1. Literature and Epic Poetry
      2. Legal Codes
      3. Monumental Art and Architecture
    2. Africa
      1. Literature and Poetry
      2. Monumental Art and Architecture
    3. India, China, and the Americas
      1. Literature and Poetry
      2. Political Philosophies
      3. Art and Monumental Architecture
  2. The Spirit of Classicism, Greece, Rome, and China:
    1. Greece
      1. Bronze Age, Heroic Age, Persian Wars, and Golden Age
      2. Greek Philosophy
      3. Humanist Philosophy
      4. Classical Style in Art and Architecture
      5. Classical Style in Poetry
      6. Classical Style in Music
    2. Rome
      1. Rise to Empire
      2. Contributions in Literature
        1. Rhetoric and Oratory
      3. Preservation of Classical style
      4. Contributions in Architecture 
    3. China
      1. Rise to Empire
      2. Confucianism
      3. Contributions in Literature
      4. Visual Arts and Music
  3. The Medieval Period: Contrasting the Spirit of the Middle Ages and that of the Ancient Classical World
    1. The Rise of World Religions and the Flowering of Faith
      1.  Christianity
        1. Rise to a State Religion
        2. Teachings of Jesus and Paul
        3. The symbolism and art of Christianity
        4. Early Music
      2. Buddhism
        1. The Emergence and Spread of Buddhism
        2. Teachings of the Buddha
        3. The Symbolism and Art of Buddhism
        4. Early Music
      3. Islam
        1. The Emergence and Spread of Islam
        2. The Tenets of Islam
        3. The Architecture and Art of Islam
        4. Early Music
    2. Medieval Life
      1. Germanic Influences in Art and Literature
      2. Carolingian Renaissance
      3. Feudal Society
      4. High Medieval Culture
    3. Medieval Philosophy
      1. Influence of Greek Thought
      2. Faith versus Reason, St. Thomas Aquinas
      3. Fusion of Greek and Christian attitudes/beliefs
    4. Medieval Art and Architecture
      1. Romanesque
        1. Abbeys
      2. Gothic
        1. Cathedrals
      3. Painting
      4. Medieval Music
        1. religious
        2. Secular
  4. The Medieval World Beyond Europe
    1. India
      1. Temples
      2. Literature
      3. Music
    2. Tang and Song China
      1. Literature and Poetry
      2. Art
      3. Music

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Response to primary readings: Students will read excerpts from John Locke and Thomas Hobbes writings on human nature. Students will evaluate the respective claims and defend the position that they feel leads to the most stable government. Reflection on works of art: Students will compare and contrast works of art from different periods, such as Donatello's, Michelangelo's, and Bernini's Davids.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Students will visit an area museum and evaluate a work of art that relates to course material/content.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture