History of Humanism [ LFLTR2150 ]

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Prerequisite : basic knowledge of modern history.

The lecture course is tailored to a diverse audience; we shall either examine essential themes (the book, the Reformation, the Great Discoveries, education, the return to Antiquity, etc.), or illustrious personalities (Petrarch, Politus, Erasmus, etc.), which will reveal different facets of humanism: a movement that sought to come to terms with the important transformations in what one knew about the world and the human being. The course will likewise show humanism's contribution to the different areas that now make up the Faculty of Philosophy, arts and Letters (history, philology, literature, art, etc.).

Specifically, humanism designates the intellectual movement that restructured the image of the world and the conception of the human being in the Renaissance. The aim of the course is to study the elements that allowed and favored the emergence of such a movement, and to study the ways in which this movement attained a lasting influence.

Evaluation : an individual assignment about some reading material (2/3 of the score) and a written exam with multiple-choice questions (1/3 of the score).

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After addressing some terminological issues (what is meant by "humanism" and "Renaissance"), the course will start by a chrono-geographical survey outlining the main stages of humanism in the leading European countries. Several modules will then focus on a range of concrete issues (for example the printing press development) and of important concepts (for example the philological method applied to the classical authors and to the Bible) attached to the definition of humanism. The lecture will be given in turn by the two teachers. Some additional speakers may be invited to present a specialized issue (history of science or music history for example).

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Course materials : a selection of reading material and a basic bibliography will be given at the beginning of the course.