UCL - Foundations of European Identity: Greek and Roman Antiquity

[GLOR2202]

[30h] 5 credits

This two-yearly course is taught in 2008-2009, 2010-2011,...

Teacher(s):

Language: French

Level: Second

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

Aims

This course aims at a reflection on some of the Ancient Greek and Roman concepts which are presently regarded as roots of European identity: ideas of right and justice, invention and definition of democracy, definition of civilisation, theorisation in sciences etc.

Main themes

The course focuses on the process and the context which induced Greeks and/or Romans to develop such concepts. It also analyzes the use of those concepts by European scholars and politicians in the past and present. The confrontation between the initial concept and its later use is supposed to offer to students the opportunity of reflecting on the kind of relationship existing between Europe and its past, and between Europe and other cultures.

Content and teaching methods

This course aims at reflecting on some of the Ancient Greek and Roman concepts that are regarded presently as roots of European identity: ideas of right and justice, invention and definition of democracy, definition of civilisation, theorisation in sciences etc The course focuses on the process and context that induced Greeks and/or Romans to develop such concepts. It also analyzes the use of those concepts by European scholars and politicians in the past and present. The confrontation between the initial concept and its later use intends to prompt the students to reflect upon the kind of relationship existing between Europe and its past and between Europe and other cultures.

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

Prerequisite: a solid background in Humanities.
Evaluation: students are expected to deliver a paper on one of the course topics.
Support: a corpus of texts chosen by the teacher and increased by students.