10463 The Culture of the Enlightenment in 18th Century Europe, II: Britain, Germany, Jewish Culture and Music

Credits: 6 intermediate credits in Modern History

Prerequisites: none

The course is based primarily on a translation and adaptation of the British Open University course The Enlightenment, by Michael Head, Henry Wassermann, Dan Daor, Amos Hofman, Yoav Peled, Benjamin Perl. The materials include Hebrew translations of Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones; David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning the Principals of Morals and Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations.

The course presents a broad perspective of the culture of the Enlightenment period in the 18th century. It focuses on prominent figures who played a central role in shaping Europe’s culture and on important cultural works created during this period. The course familiarizes students with basic concepts of the Enlightenment and its central ideas from various points of view: history, philosophy, economics, natural sciences, literature, painting, architecture and music.

Topics: Henry Fielding: Tom Jones; William Hogarth: The artist as polemicist; Edward Gibbon: The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire; Architecture and 18th century British landscape painting; David Hume: The philosopher as citizen; Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations; Frederick the Great: Enlightened absolutism; Moses Mendelssohn: A meeting of cultures; Mozart: “The Marriage of Figaro.”