Course Description
The history of Imperial Spain in the time of Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616). Topics of discussion will include the Armada of 1588, heresy and the Inquisition, art and artists, the discovery of the New World, and perspectives on the decline of Spain.
Athena Title
SPAIN OF CERVANTES
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Introduction to Habsburg Spain, use of primary sources in translation, discussion of the historiography of Spain. The principal objective of the course is to teach students to think critically for themselves about the relationships between the past and the present, to learn to ask questions of the past that enable them to understand the present and mold the future, and to become attuned to both the limitations and possibilities of change. The course seeks to acquaint students with the ways in which past societies and peoples have defined the relationships between community and individual needs and goals, and between ethical norms and decision-making. In general students will be expected to: 1. read a wide range of primary and secondary sources critically. 2. polish skills in critical thinking, including the ability to recognize the difference between opinion and evidence, and the ability to evaluate--and support or refute--arguments effectively. 3. write stylistically appropriate and mature papers and essays using processes that include discovering ideas and evidence, organizing that material, and revising, editing, and polishing the finished papers.
Topical Outline
Introduction: the life of Cervantes Politics in early modern Spain and its territories Religion and society Military history: the Spanish Road, the Spanish Armada Heresy and the Inquisition Art and artists in Spain The picaresque novel The decline of Spain as a historiographical model
Syllabus