HONORS 292: Honors Topic in Humanities

An Honors course in Humanities distribution explores- from term to term in varied specific cases - the basic assumption that the world is interpretable. In each Honors HU course, we will begin by exploring fundamental questions and the basic assumptions of the field. This course will address the question "What is the study of Humanities?" We will discuss the fundamental basic assumptions of the field, including: humanities research can redefine the decisions we need to make; there are different ways of seeing and interpreting human nature; the diversity of perspective is rooted in historical and social and cultural contexts; the humanities involve articulation of human values and are dependent upon cultural context; the study of humanities involves introspection and re-imagining of the interpretive endeavor. An Honors College course in Humanities shares the attributes of university-wide HU courses in its emphasis on learning how to appreciate ways in which the aesthetic, moral, intellectual and spiritual aspects of the human condition have been and may be articulated. Students acquire experience with the methodologies of the humanities by learning how to examine philosophical, historical and literary materials, and investigate a multitude of creative productions. Students are taught how to engage a variety of types of texts, ideas, and symbolic expression, while also being trained to situate these data and texts in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary contexts. In this way, an Honors course in Humanities emphasizes the interplay between humanities, arts, culture, and the social sciences.