This course is designed to give History majors a better understanding of the many ways in which the past has been retrieved, sorted and recorded to create what we call history. Often this process has involved a search for the truth, based upon verifiable evidence, in order to explain the present; perhaps just as often, it has also meant the distortion of facts, the invention of traditions, and the (re)making of myths in the service of some political or other agenda. Students begin by surveying several of the better-known schools of historical writing, starting with the classical Greeks and ending with the postmodernists and world historians. Next, students investigate some examples of historical writing as they apply to the history of the Middle East. Ultimately, students gain an understanding of what is meant by the expression “the use and abuse of history.” Spring semester, alternate years.
Core Curriculum Designation: WI
Grade Basis: Letter Grade
Credits: 4.0
