COLL-E 104 15580 Civilization and Its Discontents (Wahrman and Schneider) (S & H) (3 cr.)

Sex and death-pain and pleasure-greed and generosity-good and evil:civilization has made it all possible. For the last 500 years, peoplehave loved civilization's benefits and pursued its perfection. At the same time, they have hated civilization and attacked the very virtues it is supposed to instill. From the Bible to Pulp Fiction, civilization has been a mixed blessing indeed. This course will explore the paradoxes of civilization from the Renaissance to the century of the Holocaust. Together we will look at critical turning points in the history of Europe and America, times when civilization made great leaps forward, and introduced whole new species of social evils. Topics will include: exploring and exploiting the New World, religious emancipation and religious violence, courtly culture and decadence, industry and luxury, slavery, sexual pleasure and sexual pain.