An Introduction to European Culture,王昺 教授 辽宁师范大学外国语学院 Email: wang.bing126.com,Purposes of the course,Improve English learning Upgrade personal quality Prepare for graduate program Promote intercultural competence Broaden your vision for future,Characteristics of the Course,Wide Coverage of many fields:astronomy, geography, literature, history, religion, philosophy, political thoughts, art (paining, music, architecture, sculpture), science, etc. Knowing something of everything, not everything of something Only a taste,Focus of Study,Historical background of every period Major events (wars, invasions, reforms, revolutions, social changes,etc.) Ideologies (main assumptions) Prominent historical figures (political, literary, religious, scientific, artistic) Literary and artistic styles (main characteristics) Not original writings,Miscellany,Scope: chapter 1-chapter 8 Attendance Evaluation (paper or exam) Focus for prominent figures (names, time, contributions, masterpieces, heroes in their writings) Language of delivery Requirements for proper names (English, simple foreign, complex foreign) My personal qualifications for the course,Abilities needed and to be developed,Memorization (names, times, etc.) Comprehension (ideas and ideologies) Compare and contrast (east and west) Critical thinking (why Europe leads the world in many ways) Personal analysis and synthesis,How can you learn the course well?,Establish a chronological framework of world history: 1200 146 B.C.: Ancient Greece 700 B.C. 27 B.C. 395 A.D.- 476 1054- 1453: Ancient Roman Empire 476 A.D. 14th century : Medieval Age 14th C (Dante) mid-17th C (Shakespeare, English Revolution) 17th C: prodigious development of sci & Tech 18th C: enlightenment 19th C: Marxism, Darwinism, realism 20th C: modernism, postmodernism Since 1970s: information age, globalization, economic integration, multiculturalism,Ancient Greek Culture,Historical context: 1200 BC. Trojan War (700BC: Homer) 800-500 BC: formative period (city states) 500-336 BC: classical period: heydaywinning Greco-Persian Way; democracy in Athens; flourish of sci and art;civil war: Athens vs. Sparta 伯罗奔尼撒战争 (432-404 BC), declined. 336-146 BC: Hellenization period 希腊化时期Alexander III (356-336-323 BC); center: Alexandria in Egypt; Roman conquest in 146 BC,Contending Schools,诡辩学派 Sophists 500 B.C. 代表人物：Protagoras Man is measure of all things. Forerunner of Socratic dialectic Emphasis on ability to argue for any case regardless of its truth,Cynics：犬儒学派 300 B.C. Diogenes 主张： simplicity brotherhood rejecting conventions,Sceptics 不可知派 Pyrrhon Not all knowledge is attainable. Wise men should not judge, but should aim at balanced imperburbability.,Epicureans 伊壁鸠鲁学派 Epicurus Pleasure is the highest good of life, achieved through practiced virtue. Different from hedonism(享乐主义）through sensual indulgence.,Stoics 斯多葛派，禁欲主义学派 Zeno antithesis of Epicureans virtue, not pleasure, is the highest good. Duty Hardship,Ancient Rome,Period of Kings: 753-510 B.C. City of Rome set up Period of Republic: 510-27 B.C. 1) Occupation of whole Italy2) expansion: Punic Wars （264133 B.C.）, defeating Carthage (迦太基)3) Slave uprisings (133-27 BC.):斯巴达克斯,Period of Empire: 27 B.C. 476 A.D. 1453 27 BC. 193 AD. Pax Romana 前三头：克拉苏，庞培，凯撒 （Julius Caeser） 后三头：雷必达，安东尼，屋大维 （Augustus Octavius） after 193: weakened, barbarian invasions (Huns, Goths, Visigoths, Vandals) 475: split WRE and Byzantium 1453: conquered by Ottoman Empire (Modern Italy: 1871),Romans & Greeks,Similarities: Democracy: citizen assembly, hostile to monarchyReligion and mythology:Languages (Greek and Latin): Indo-European family,Differences: Romans built an empire, Greeks not. Greeks: art and intellect Romans: Military: Roman legions Law: Roman Law Constructions: aqueducts, roads Government system: effective bureaucracy,The Bible,It is not a single book, but a collection of 66 books, different in style, content, subject of matter, and point of view. Not written by one person, but by many anonymously, some sections had existed orally before. Not written within a single period of time:Old Testament: 1,000 - 15 B.C.N. T.: 50 150 A.D. Not written in one language:O.T: in Hebrew; N.T: in Greek (partly in Aramaic 阿拉米语),* Books in it are not systematically classified or chronologically arranged. * It contains words of God, an inspired and inspiring book an encyclopedia (poem, history, tale, moral teachings, etc.), * It is a book that was ordered to be burned, but survived every time. * It is a book translated into over 1,000 Ls and dialects. * Number One in terms of publication volume; greatly influencing Eu culture.,Classification of 66 books,Old Testament: (Hebrew History) 1. Law and history 2. Prophecies 3. Poetry, drama, tales, moral teachings New Testament: (Life of Jesus Christ) 1. Gospels 2. Letters 3. Revelations The central theme binding all books:Hebrew tradition written by, meant for and about Hebrews.,Genealogy Adam & Eve Noah 诺亚(Ark) Abraham (to Canaan迦南) Moses 摩西(Exodus) Joshua （约书亚）(back to Canaan) split （犹太国&以色列国） Saul 扫罗(unification) David 大卫(built Jerusalem) Solomon所罗门,