UCL - Seminar of Historical Foundations of Western Civilisation

[FLTR1420]

[90h] 10 credits

Teacher(s): Jean-Marie Cauchies(coord.), Françoise Van Haeperen, Laurence Van Ypersele, Jean-Marie Yante

Language: French

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

· For each of the four periods, to master the chronology of the history of Western civilization and the main foundations of Western history.
· By examining some sources, to master how historical knowledge is developed.
· For each of the periods studied, to be able, starting from a "reading folder," to elucidate some of the major problems of historical research.

Main themes

Using the material learned in the course "Fondaments 1," the seminar aims to make the student more familiar with two or three of the crucial research problems issuing from each period and touching different areas of research. In this manner, the course leads the student to a deeper understanding of Western society from Antiquity to the present time.
The lecturer will not address the two "inter-period" themes that formed the basis of the "Fondements 1" course in the first semester.
The topics developed during the four series will be discussed and agreed upon by the lecturers.
Method:
· Four series of "directed readings," each bearing on one of the four periods of history: Antiquity, Middle Ages, the Modern Era, and the Contemporary Period.
· Preparation and deepening of one's knowledge of the subject matter through these readings.

Content and teaching methods

The part dealing with the Contemporary Period focuses on: the important worldviews (ideologies and collective representations) of the 19th and 20th centuries, their evolution in historical contexts, and their political, economic, and social implications; revolution and wars, and their consequences on collective memory, national identities, and relationships with others.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Assessment:
Assessment will be based on the course and the "reading folder."
Course material:
) A "reading folder" providing documentation on the research questions developed in each of the four courses/series will be made available for students. These readings will provide a background to the lectures and are an important part of the individual work to be carried out by the students.
The lecturer will have a "source folder" on which he/she may comment.