The History Department at Ohio University announces two new courses that are being offered for the first time in Fall 2017.
T3 4115: Ancient East Asian Ideas & the Contemporary World
Tier III Synthesis
Description: The ideas of ancient East Asian philosophers, thinkers, and mystics offer us surprising insights into life in the 21st century. In this interdisciplinary course, students read and discuss the foundational texts of the East Asian tradition (including, but not limited to, the classic works of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism). They look at these writings as historical documents which need to be placed in the context of their times, as creative works to be analyzed as literature, and as living philosophical texts which contain ideas that (potentially) resonate with our own lives. Dr. Joshua Hill, Assistant Professor of History, is teaching this course. It meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-10:20 a.m.
UP 4901S: Marked By Difference: Medicine, Culture and the Body in Pre-Modern Europe
Description: This course explores physical signs of difference, from tattooing and branding to stigmata and birthmarks, in pre-modern European culture. In doing so, the course expands students’ understanding of the fascinating history of the human body—that history goes well beyond the basic biological features we rely on today to identify ourselves. How did societies identify difference before the advent of DNA testing? What role did/does culture play in body identification? How did/does science and medicine influence body politics? If the eyes are the window to one’s soul, then this course suggests that the body is a portrait of one’s culture. This course allows us to become more critical consumers of knowledge while forcing us to rethink our own notions about bodily difference. Dr. Michele Clouse, Associate Professor of History, is offering this course as part of the University Professor teaching award. It meets Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:05-4:25 p.m.
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