Forgetting the Arabs: Europe on the cusp of the Renaissance
Why was Islamic philosophy, once the epitome of Arab learning, eventually rejected by Muslims? And why, after assimilating it, did Europeans distance themselves from its formulators? This program seeks to understand the religious climate of the late...
Altered states: a history of drug use in America
Whether it's caffeine, nicotine, or morphine, drugs of choice have defined our lives and history, with sometimes benevolent, sometimes tragic results. This program focuses on the history of America's drug use and abuse, from the days when the early ...
The thousand and one nights: a historical perspective
Encompassing fairy tales, romances, legends, fables, parables, and anecdotes, "The Thousand and One Nights" is a composite of popular oral stories that developed over several centuries, mainly during the Empire of the Caliphate. This program scrutin...
Judaism: Kristallnacht and the birth of Israel
Following "The Night of Broken Glass," the world reacted with horror...and did nothing. So began the Holocaust. Who could have foreseen, at that low ebb of Judaism, that just ten years later a Jewish state, Israel, would finally be born? It was a vi...
21st century turning points in U.S. history: Program 4. 2007-2009
The end of the decade of the 21st century was the best of times and the worst of times. Finally, America understood the consequences of global warming; a sea change occurred when it elected a Black president, but in the end, it faced disaster when t...
21st century turning points in U.S. history: Program 2. 2002-2004
The years between 2002 and 2004 ushered in America's first pre-emptive war, saw the human genome project jump start the biotech revolution and Google monetize the Internet. 21st Century Turning Points in U.S. History (2000 - 2009) takes students on ...
Ancient Rome reexamined: the splendor of imperial Rome
During the Imperial period, from Augustus to Constantine, Rome itself became the most magnificent city in the ancient world. In The Splendor of Imperial Rome - from the ancient Roman Forum to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Coliseum - the...
Asylum: a history of the mental institution in America
This award-winning program brings to light the complex and controversial history of the mental institution in the U.S. through a detailed study of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. It also debates whether deinstitutionalization has proved ...
Ancient Rome reexamined: the rise of the Roman Republic
In The Rise of the Roman Republic, learn how from the humblest beginnings, Rome rose up to become the first self-governing republic. By including their vanquished and allowing anyone to move up through the ranks of their unique society, Rome came to...
A new history of the world
Is there such a thing as a just war? Is terrorism ever morally acceptable? And can ancient art change the current view of history? This program investigates these and other questions with political philosopher Michael Walzer, who examines the origin...