CLS-323 What is “Western Civilization”?

Examination of the problematic idea of “Western Civilization,” the origins and development of the idea, its deployment in power relationships, and responses to it. The course examines how the concept of “Western Civilization” has been used across time, to provide the foundation to specific agendas, and often originating from a problematic reception of the Classical discourse. Topics include: the problematic reception of ancient Rome under the Fascism; the myth of whiteness in Classical art; the re-use of Classical antiquity in the alt-right. 4 credits