This chronologically organized introduction to the Western humanities (art, music, history, literature, and drama) establishes the historical context of each era before the arts are discussed. Hundreds of illustrations appear throughout the text, "Personal Perspectives" boxes bring to life the events of the day, and brief sections at the end of each chapter describe the cultural legacy of the era discussed. Volume II ofThe Western Humanitiescovers the period from the Renaissance through the present.

Covering the period from 1600 to the Post-Modern Era, this book is part of an innovative two-volume primary source anthology that presents some of the greatest ideas and creative expressions of humanity. The anthology features an exceptionally diverse and unique variety of selections reflecting artistic, musical, literary, political, social, religious, intellectual, and scientific issues that encompass the study of Humanities. Chronological in format--with individual units focused on time periods, specific events, and historical questions, it is internally organized around five major themes--The Institution and the Individual; Social and Spiritual Values; Revolution and Transition; The Varieties of Truth; and Women in History and the Humanities. Each piece of literature, poetry or art, each diary entry, philosophical excerpt, or religious proviso is juxtaposed against the tapestry of history so that it can be viewed within the context of its time. Throughout, readers are confronted with basic questions regarding historical development, human nature, moral action, and practical necessity. KEY TOPICS: Major period covered include: The Baroque Age (1600-1715). Enlightenment and Revolution (1715-1800). The Birth of the Modern: Nationalism and Romanticism (1750- 1830). Changing Dimensions: Social Conflict and Realism (1830-1870). The Belle Epoque (1870-1914). "The Abyss Also Looks Into You" The West in Crisis (1914-1945). The Individual Apart: The Abstract World and the Post-Modern Era. Includes excerpts from drama and literature, short stories, speeches, letters, diary accounts, poems, newspaper articles, philosophical tracts, propaganda flyers, and works of art and architecture. Includes not only the traditional primary documents essential to the study of the Humanities, but also the more unusual which are not found in similar texts. MARKET: For anyone interested in the great ideas and artistic expressions of humanity.

Provides an introduction to the philosophy, visual arts, music, and theatre of Western civilization from Ancient Greece to our own times.

With humor, lucidity, and unflinching rigor, the acclaimed authors of Who Killed Homer? and Plagues of the Mind unsparingly document the degeneration of a central, if beleaguered, discipline—classics—and reveal the root causes of its decline. Hanson, Heath, and Thornton point to academics themselves—their careerist ambitions, incessant self-promotion, and overspecialized scholarship, among other things—as the progenitors of the crisis, and call for a return to “academic populism,” an approach characterized by accessible, unspecialized writing, selfless commitment to students and teaching, and respect for the legacy of freedom and democracy that the ancients bequeathed to the West.

Chronologically organized, The Western Humanities presents the cultural achievements of western civilization--art and architecture, music, history, literature, philosophy, theater, film and the other arts--within their historical context. By examining the historical and material conditions that influenced the form and content of the arts and humanities, the authors provide students with a clear framework, a deeper understanding of the meaning of cultural works, and a broader basis for analyzing and appreciating the cultural achievements of the West. Hundreds of illustrations bring the arts and humanities to life, while extensive pedagogy consistently asks students to think about, interpret, and apply the information throughout the text and at the end of each chapter.

Offers the first overarching history of the humanities from Antiquity to the present.