Unless noted otherwise, all texts in:
Weber, Eugen. The Western Tradition, Vol. 2: From the Renaissance to the Present. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 1994. ISBN: 9780669394436.
| SES # | READINGS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction (none) | |
| 2 |
Luther, Martin. “The Ninety-Five Theses.” (Gutenberg text) ———. “On the Babylonish Captivity of the Church.” ———. “The Twelve Articles of Peasants.” Calvin, John. “The Institutes of the Christian Church.” (Excerpts) |
|
| 3 |
Galilei, Galileo. “Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina.” ———. “What is Scientific Authority?” (Excerpts) |
|
| 4 | Descartes, Rene. “Discourse Upon Method.” (Excerpts) (Gutenberg text) | |
| 5 | Hobbes, Thomas. “The Leviathan.” (Excerpts) (Gutenberg text) | First essay is due |
| 6 | Locke, John. “The Second Treatise of Government.” (Excerpts) (Gutenberg text) | |
| 7 | Baron de Montesquieu. “The Spirit of the Laws.” (Excerpts) | |
| 8 | Baron de Montesquieu. Persian Letters. (Excerpts) | |
| 9 | Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. “The Social Contract.” (Excerpts) (Wikisource text) | Revision of first essay is due |
| 10 | Hume, David. “The Essay on Miracles.” (Excerpts) | |
| 11 | Kant, Immanuel. “What is Enlightenment?” | |
| 12 |
Frederick the Great. “The Political Testament of Frederick II.” ———. “Forms of Government.” (Excerpts) |
|
| 13 |
“Decree of the French National Assembly Abolishing the Feudal System.” “The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.” (Wikisource text) |
|
| 14 |
de Gouges, Olympe. “Declaration of the Rights of Women and Female Citizens.” (Wikisource text) de Robespierre, Maximilien. “Notes.” ———. “Democracy and Terror.” |
|
| 15 |
Burke, Edmund. “Reflections on the French Revolution.” (Excerpts) (Wikisource text) “The Holy Alliance.” |
Second essay is due |
| 16 |
Madame de Stäel. “Romanticism.” (Excerpts) Blake, William. “Mock on, Mock on, Voltaire, Rousseau.” (Wikisource text) Wordsworth, William. “London.” (Wikisource text) |
|
| 17 | Smith, Adam. “The Wealth of Nations.” (Excerpts) (Gutenberg text) | |
| 18 | Marx, Karl. “The Communist Manifesto.” (Gutenberg text) | |
| 19 |
Mill, John Stuart. “Essay on Utilitarianism.” (Excerpts) (Gutenberg text) ———. “On Liberty.” (Excerpts) (Wikisource text) |
|
| 20 |
Kropotkin, Pietr. “Anarchism: Its Philosophy and Ideal.” (Excerpts) von Bismarck, Otto. “A Speech to the Prussian Budget Commission.” ———. “On State Interference.” |
Third essay is due |
| 21 |
Nietzsche, Friedrich. “Beyond Good and Evil.” (Excerpts) (Gutenberg text) ———. “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.” (Excerpts) (Gutenberg text) |
|
| 22 |
Freud, Sigmund. “Civilization and its Discontents.” (Excerpts/Copies) ———. “Dream Psychology.” (Excerpts) (Gutenberg text) |
|
| 23 |
Hitler, Adolf. “Mein Kampf.” (Excerpts) Mussolini, Benito. “The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism.” |
|
| 24 | Levi, Primo. “Survival in Auschwitz.” (Excerpts/Copies) | |
| 25 | Adorno, Theodor, and Max Horkheimer. The Dialectics of Enlightenment. (Excerpts/Copies) | |
| 26 | Conclusions | Fourth essay is due |
