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The Foundations of Western Civilization Summary

What is Western civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.

Within this series of 48 lectures, you'll discover the many ways in which Western civilization has addressed those questions, from its first stirrings in the great river valleys of Iraq and Egypt in 3000 B.C to the beginning of the 17th century and the dawn of the modern world. Your learning will cover vast amounts of territory and thousands of years, beginning in the ancient Near East and moving to Greece and then Rome. You'll explore ancient empires, including those of Persia, Alexander the Great, and Rome.

You'll watch as western Europe gradually expands, both physically and culturally. And you'll examine the globalizations of Western civilization with the Portuguese and Spanish voyages of exploration and discovery.

This broad and panoramic series, ripe with the telling detail on which history can turn, will help you pull an enormous sweep of history together into one coherent - though by no means closed - framework as you watch history develop under the influence of such critical factors as ecology and environment, geography, and climate; government and economics; technology; religion; work and leisure; philosophy; literature; art and architecture; and virtues, values, and aesthetics.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2002 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2002 The Great Courses

The Foundations of Western Civilization

The Foundations of Western Civilization

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Foundations of Western Civilization II: A History of the Modern Western World

Foundations of Western Civilization II: A History of the Modern Western World

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The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History

The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History

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Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity

Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity

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Peoples and Cultures of the World

Peoples and Cultures of the World

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The Development of European Civilization

The Development of European Civilization

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From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History

From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History

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The African Experience: From 'Lucy' to Mandela

The African Experience: From 'Lucy' to Mandela

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Making History: How Great Historians Interpret the Past

Making History: How Great Historians Interpret the Past

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War and World History

War and World History

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Foundations of Eastern Civilization

Foundations of Eastern Civilization

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36 Revolutionary Figures of History

36 Revolutionary Figures of History

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History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration

History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration

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Understanding Cultural and Human Geography

Understanding Cultural and Human Geography

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Understanding Japan

Understanding Japan

A Cultural History

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Turning Points in Middle Eastern History

Turning Points in Middle Eastern History

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A History of India

A History of India

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Native Peoples of North America

Native Peoples of North America

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The Big History of Civilizations

The Big History of Civilizations

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The History and Achievements of the Islamic Golden Age

The History and Achievements of the Islamic Golden Age

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