Statement of the Competency: to think critically about world views. Students who successfully complete the WORLD VIEWS course in Humanities should be able to:
The WORLD VIEWS course introduces students to the idea of using conceptual frameworks for understanding, from culturally and historically diverse standpoints, how the world is structured, functions and develops. Students are encouraged to increase their awareness and understanding of different views of humanity and its place in the world.
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| 345-102-MQ |
A Conservative World View? |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
For almost three centuries liberalism, and its various iterations, has held sway over the West. Emphasizing the primacy of reason over tradition, the autonomy of the individual over notions of the common good, it is the world view by which West has operated, or fought against. Today, for good or ill, these ideas are receding. Yet, our metaphysical beliefs, ethics, legal infrastructure and forms of government still carry the philosophical imprints of these ideas, even if its founders have been defenestrated, its intellectual roots deracinated. This course will examine major thinkers who stand in contrast to classical liberalism, such as Burke, Coleridge, Newman, Disraeli, Babbit, Santanyana and others. Readings will be discussed in the context of movies and television series that reflect or rebut these views. In the past, the course has viewed Downton Abbey, Lord of the Rings, Narnia and others. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Art, Film and Media Witnessing |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This worldviews course begins by introducing students to some of the fundamental aspects of visual art and its engagement. Next the course turns to notions of realism and expressionism and their relevance for various art movements, film genres and tele-visual forms. Finally the course re-frames art, film, television and other photographic media as “media witnessing”, that is, as forms of communication and attestation that find their place on line within broad social networks, platforms and documentary practices. Thus from classical art to melodrama, and from catastrophe TV to social media, this course examines art, film and media witnessing as an encounter with and response to reality. In broad terms the course asks, “is media witnessing changing world views, changing, that is, how we view ourselves, each other and the world?” |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Bad Attitudes: An Introduction to Pessimism and Skepticism |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
What’s wrong with a bad attitude? In this course students will be introduced to pessimism and skepticism as generative and creative world views. We will begin by examining the foundations of the skeptic tradition (beginning with the ancient Greeks) and then move on to examinations of more contemporary pessimistic currents, such as the Frankfurt School, Afro-pessimism, and cosmic pessimism (the latter as it relates to climate concerns). In addition to engaging with historical ideas, students will also be encouraged to find examples of these world views within contemporary pop culture (television, film, social media, etc.). Coursework will include creative projects and autotheoretical (autobiographical and theoretical) writing. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Capitalism and Beyond |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
"We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings.” – Ursula K. Le Guin. What is “capitalism”? How does it work, and where is it taking us? Can we control it, or does it control us? Is a capitalist future inevitable, or are there alternatives? In this course, we will explore the nature and limits of capitalism as an economic system and world view. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Classic Ideas Revisited Through the Contemporary Lens |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
There have been many great thinkers and philosophers who have contributed great insights to how we see the world and our place in it: Nietzche, Descartes, Mach, Kant and others have put forward notions of the nature of humanity and the planet we live on. Science, however, continues to provide us with new discoveries and emerging disciplines provide a new lens from which we can examine some of these classical world views. Students will learn to appreciate the world views and ideas put forward by some of the great western thinkers in history and then examine them from the modern outlook of the 21st century with the all the advances made in various fields of learning. Students will understand the historical context from which these ideas came and how they remain useful in constructing a modern world view. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Comparative World Views |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course will compare and contrast different comprehensive views that have helped shape our world. As part of the course, we will examine famous works that express these different world views, and we will also compare and contrast the conceptions of human nature that are linked with these views. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Creative Resistance and Social Change |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This Learning Communities course creates innovative spaces where 2nd semester students in a Humanities World Views course and 4th semester students in a Media & Society course interact regularly over the semester to reflect on the problem of violence and find ways to engage their creativity in the art of resistance. The course puts the focus on two urgent problems: How is power and propaganda wielded to build societal support for violence? How can we bring social change through creative forms of resistance that not only disrupt violent systems and world views but also construct life-affirming new ones? |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Cultural Identity and Cultural Rights |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course will examine how and why societies accommodate, protect and penalize cultural difference. Students will identify and analyse the historical development of world views on the rights and status of different minority groups in Canada. They will learn to identify and to understand distinctions between race, ethnicity and nationality, with a focus on world views in Canada. The relationships between Canada and Indigenous nations, and the concepts and world views arising from those relationships, are a key area of study during the first half of the course. The second half of the course will focus more on cultural identity and how it shapes and is shaped by world views. Racism in the American and Canadian justice systems will be an important focus of readings and films as well as issues of identity, justice and influence and appropriation of African-American culture. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Diversity in Women's Movements |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
The objective is to provide students with an understanding of the major ideas, assumptions, values, and implications of several world views of women's inequality. This is accomplished through an examination and comparison of several types of feminist theory, and through looking historically at the similarities and differences between areas of concern and activism within women's movements in North America and India. Topics to be covered include: history of feminism, the social and political influences on feminist theories and their application, the legal status of women, the backlash against feminism, the sex selection of children, and the status of women in India. Readings are drawn from the fields of gender studies, anthropology, sociology, history, and philosophy. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Diversity in Women’s Movements |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Early Childhood Education |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
The objective of this course is for students to develop an understanding of different views about child rearing and child education. Major theories of child development and education will be explored. Students will examine various worldviews about child rearing practices and educational methods and how these worldviews shape the education of young children in different societies. Students will develop skills in the analysis and comparison of diverse world views. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Enlightened Consciousness |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
What does it mean to be enlightened? How have different religious traditions described this ultimate human potential? In this course, we will examine the world view of the “perennial philosophy,” which according to Ken Wilber, is the “world view embraced by the vast majority of the world’s greatest spiritual teachers, philosophers, thinkers, and even scientists.” This world view includes the following features: 1) the consciousness we normally identify with - our ordinary, waking self/ ego - is an illusion, 2) there is a way to correct this misperception, and 3) uncovering your true nature goes by many names, depending on your cultural background (waking up, liberation, enlightenment, union with God, etc). We will also explore the various methods and techniques that have been prescribed for those seeking their “true nature.” To this end, there will be a strong emphasis on practicing different forms of meditation in and out of class (calm-abiding, analytical, etc.). |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Folklore and Fairytale |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course examines how fairy tales reflect world views. Students will investigate how these traditional narratives organize the world into coherent patterns, as they grapple with vital human matters such as sex, death, loss, abandonment, betrayal, and maturation. We will read traditional European tales from the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, with the goal of identifying the world views these narratives reflect. We will also consider how modern versions critique and overturn older views, beliefs, and attitudes. Students will be invited to consider the implications of fairy tale, as its influence extends into a variety of domains, such as advertising, cinema, psychology, digital technology, and romantic relationships. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Gender Justice Now! |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This paired course explores the topic of gender justice as it appears in contemporary humanities and English writing. By considering our own experiences and engaging with others, we delve into histories, beliefs and practices through the lenses of intersectionality, power-privilege and social construction, amongst others. In Humanities, we explore how to frame gender justice when people centre and uphold patriarchal norms and practices. We examine gender in its historical, economic, social and cultural dimensions that often lead to unequal power structures. We turn to specific examples, such as frameworks that focus on “saving women,” countering powerful narratives with people's lived experiences. We study activist works by abolitionists and legal scholars recalling advice that “we should all be feminists.” Students select their own projects and gain perspective on worldviews meaningful to them by witnessing and participating in a variety of activities. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Imagining the Future |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
Where do we go from here?" has been one of the most critical questions of the modern age. "Imagining the Future" investigates humanity's journey from the past into an uncertain future and its search for meaning through ancient and modern worldviews. Beginning with Hermann Hesse's novel Demian and short selections by authors such as Nietzsche, Saint-Point and Du Bois, we will study the turbulent years of the early twentieth century, when World Wars, pandemics, and new technologies transformed the world. Part two of the course will focus on late twentieth-century science fiction texts and films, including Octavia Butler's 1987 novel Dawn, which portrays a young woman tasked with repopulating the earth with a human-alien hybrid species centuries after a nuclear apocalypse. The course will explore the following issues: posthumanism, nationalism, race, gender, climate change, genetic engineering, colonialism, war, and religion. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Introduction to Ideologies |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
Political and social life is filled with people who describe themselves with some kind of label. Some people call themselves feminist, separatist, ecologist, or conservative. Often these terms become insults. What do these labels mean? Ideologies are sets of world views that understand social, economic and political life in a particular way, and seek to solve problems based on that said understanding. This course will examine how these world views developed historically. Have these ideologies changed or adapted over time? Who supports these ideas and why? We will then ask deeper questions about ideology. To what extent do culture or religion influence ideas about politics? Is there a relationship between economic interests and political ideas? Do ideas matter? Is there a real diversity of values and world-views in our society, or is there rather a dominant ideology that stifles healthy debate on a wide range of issues? |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Justice |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course examines the relationship between world views and conceptions of justice. Students will study what justice means to different people depending on their understanding of the world. Students will examine the resulting definitions of justice and their relationship to legal systems. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Justice 2 (Journeys) |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course will continue our exploration of what justice means by exploring different world views on crime and on appropriate punishment for people convicted of crimes. We will look at the issue of “victimless crimes,” like drug possession and prostitution and compare the situations in countries that have adopted crime approaches versus reduction of harm approaches to these activities. We will also study and discuss concepts like ‘consent’ and ‘harm’ and debate their meaning. We will explore the concept of punishment – what is the goal of punishment, who should determine punishment? Readings and films will explore the utility of prison sentences, mandatory minimums, solitary confinement and its effects and capital punishment. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Let’s Get Hysterical: The Woman in White and Psychoanalytic Theory |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
The Woman in White, published serially in 1859-60, is widely held to be among the first and greatest of what became known as sensation novels-those that appeal to the senses and are intended to make readers' hair stand on end: mystery, crimes of passion and calculation, hauntings, mistaken identity, and the uncanny are regular features of this genre. Sensation novels put us in touch with our bodies, our intuitions, our animality, and the limits of rationality. The novel was written in the same period that saw the creation of the mental asylum in Europe and a fascination with a disease called ‘hysteria’ that is no longer listed in current psychiatric diagnostic manuals. In this co-taught Humanities “World Views” and English “Genres” class, we will read Collins' novel in its entirety–all 500+ pages–in instalments and ponder the question of what leads us to create and dissolve categories of illness and how these changes affect us legally, politically and socially. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Magical Worldviews: Perceiving the Unseen World |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Medieval Civilization |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
In this course, we study medieval civilization across ten centuries with a special focus on the evolving Medieval world view, social and cultural institutions, and political and philosophical ideas. Among the more important themes studied will be: the decline of classical antiquity in the late Roman Empire and the contribution of classical culture to the Medieval world view; the Germanic tribal cultures and their contribution to the world view of the Middle Ages; the contributions of Islam and Byzantium; the transmission of classical learning and literature; the emergence of a new Western European society and world view during the Carolingian period; the rise of urban centers and universities in the Late Middle Ages; and the decline of medieval civilization in the 14th century. We will also place special emphasis on those areas of the medieval world view that have had a lasting impact on Western society and culture. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Music and World Views |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
Music is fundamental to the human experience. It follows us through our lives; from lullabies, to graduation marches, to songs played at our weddings. For many of us, music will be played at our funerals to mark our passing from this life. Music is our constant companion. It is our passenger on long drives, it hypes us up at the gym, and it helps us through heartbreak. It’s hard to imagine life – or even a single day – without music. In this course, we will learn more about this nearly universal human art form and work to understand how music impacts and reflects our own world views and the world views of others. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Nietzsche and Dostoevsky |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This World Views course examines two 19th-century giants of modern literature and philosophy: the German Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) and the Russian Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881). Their great dialogue—and their great quarrel—twists and turns as each argues about God and man, morality and immorality, and the drama of faith versus doubt. In 1882, Nietzsche's madman in the marketplace declared "God is dead ... and we have killed him" (in The Gay Science), while in 1880 Dostoevsky posited "If God is dead, then everything is permitted" (in The Brothers Karamazov). The entire modern world, dominated and defined by crisis and uncertainty, might be said to have come into being with that twin set of announcements. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Political World Views |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course is an introduction to political world views through a study of key central problems: What is the state of nature? Could the state be justified? Who should rule? What should be the place of liberty in society? What is the just way of distributing property? Also, we will analyze and assess the most interesting arguments made by political thinkers to solve these problems as well as investigate how these arguments are influenced by their world views. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Problems in Modern Political Thought |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
A world view, much like an ideology, is “a comprehensive set of ideas that explains and evaluates social conditions, helps people understand their place in society, and provides a program for social and political action” (Ball et al, p. 4). World views are related to our beliefs about human nature and human freedom, which in turn are the root of our understanding of our political rights and political obligations. The purpose of this course is to examine the development of Western political thought throughout the modern period and likewise to understand how the debates of this period inform contemporary political discourse. This course will provide an overview of the origins of liberalism, conservatism, socialism, communism and anarchism. The course aims to improve student’s critical thinking skills as well as their ability to analyze, develop and construct philosophical arguments. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Psychoanalysis, Marxism, Feminism |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This course surveys psychoanalysis, Marxism, and feminism. World views that unleashed revolutions in politics, social sciences, and popular culture. Much of our attention will focus on three major concepts: 1) The psychoanalytic notion of an unconscious, which unsettles our everyday understanding of a unified, distinct, and rational self. 2) The Marxist view of class struggle, which sees ideologies of social harmony covering over the realities of exploitation. 3) The interlocking set of oppressions feminists have identified, and worked to overthrow, known as white-supremacist-capitalist-patriarchy. The course will compare and contrast the psychoanalytic, Marxist, and feminist traditions to show how they support one another, but just as often clash. Finally, students will "test" ideas drawn from these worldviews by applying them to cultural texts, contemporary events, and their own life experiences. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
The Death of Homo Economicus |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
“What are you going to do when you graduate?” “Get a job.” "What is your single most important goal for living your best life?” “To do well for myself financially!” A stereotype of college and university students has taken shape in which young people are assumed to be mostly materialistic in their world views. But is this stereotype true? In cognitive psychology and some areas of philosophy, the focus has shifted to the ways in which humans are driven by deep emotional forces. In behavioral economics, scholars have started to unearth the irrationality underlying much of economic decision-making. Some of these perspectives point to a dark future of irrational fears and inflamed passions. Others are more optimistic and illuminate how human social and emotional interconnection has always been the key to human flourishing. This course will track the evolution of this world view through a diverse set of readings. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
The Enlightenment and Romanticism |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
All of us have been profoundly shaped by two conflicting world views: the Enlightenment world view, which emphasizes objectivity, science, and reason, and the Romantic world view, which challenges Enlightenment assumptions by emphasizing subjectivity and strong feelings. This course explores key figures of the Enlightenment such as Locke, along with key figures of Romanticism such as Rousseau, Blake, Coleridge, and Kleist. It also examines famous works of visual art that are linked with these two intellectual movements, and one ancient play (Euripides’s The Bacchae) that anticipates many of the themes emphasized by the Romantics. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
The Worldview of Your Health |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
The description for this course is not available at this time.
Please check with the Program Coordinator. |
|
| 345-102-MQ |
Understanding Culture Through Artworks and Artifacts |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This multidisciplinary course focuses on the examination of artworks and artifacts from different historical periods and places. Defining and examining components of a “world view” will be the common threads that run through the exploration of social perspectives from the Middle Ages through the present. Selected works will be discussed in the context of the cultural systems from which they came. Diverse examples chosen from the visual arts, literature, and music, as well as everyday objects will be used to determine how people defined themselves as individuals, groups or whole societies. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Violence and Nonviolence |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
Beliefs about violence are important components of our world views, but, both as individuals and societies, we examine them far too rarely. In this course, we will question some of the common assumptions and justifications that support violence and war, while examining the ways in which these ideas are reinforced by powerful societal institutions. Then we will examine the perspective of an alternative world view that rejects violence on both ethical and practical grounds. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Visions, Rebellions and Elections: Religion and Politics |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
|
| Description for Course: |
Many of the decisions and actions that shape our increasingly secular world have been, and still are, motivated by religious world views. This World Views course examines medieval peasant rebels, apocalyptic movements, Marxist guerrillas and our current politicians to understand how religious world views affect political and social movements. We will see how different emphasizes and interpretations, even within one religious tradition, can create different world views and place believers on opposite sides in conflicts or ideological disputes. Although we will focus on Christian world views, students are encouraged to discuss other religious traditions as well. This course is for all students, regardless of religious or non-religious background, who are curious about the sometimes surprising influence of religion on the world around us. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Weird, Wonderful and Persuasive: The World Views of Western Philosophers |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
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| Description for Course: |
This second Humanities course will teach students to think critically about world views. Having come to an understanding of what a world view is, students will examine the world views of great philosophers. The course will trace the development of philosophy since the Renaissance. Philosophers have produced intricate and complex theories explaining the world and proving what is. In a broad sense, this course explores the human condition, and the ways we humans have tried to understand and define ourselves, our world and our possibilities. This course will examine some of the philosophical theories of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant and some recent philosophers. The course will focus on their arguments. In doing so, we will discuss some of the world views of philosophy: Dualism, Pantheism, Logical Atomism, Idealism, Skepticism and Existentialism. We will also question whether another’s world view can even be understood. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Woman in White |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
|
| Description for Course: |
The Woman in White, published serially in 1859-60, is widely held to be among the first and greatest of what became known as sensation novels. Novels of sensation are those that appeal to the senses and are intended to make readers' hair stand on end: mystery, crimes of passion and calculation, hauntings, mistaken identity, and the uncanny are regular features of this genre. Sensation novels put us in touch with our bodies, our intuitions, our animality, and the limits of rationality. The novel was written in the same period that saw the creation of the mental asylum in Europe and a fascination with a disease called ‘hysteria’ that is no longer listed in current psychiatric diagnostic manuals. In this co-taught humanities “worldviews” and English “genres” class, we will read Collins' novel and ponder the question of what leads us to create and dissolve categories of illness and how these changes affect us legally, politically, and socially. |
|
| 345-102-MQ |
World Views of Indigenous Peoples |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
|
| Description for Course: |
This course describes how indigenous peoples perceive and interpret reality and events, their images of themselves and how they relate to the world around them. The first half of the course will focus on religious beliefs, health and illnesses, the position of men and women in society, sexual attitudes, rites and rituals, forms of arts, etc. The second half of the course will examine their notion of ownership of land, environment, development, aboriginal rights, self-determination, and the notion of cultural survival. At the conclusion of the course, students will acquire the following learning skills: reading and writing with clarity, listening, speaking, note-taking, and building vocabulary relevant to materials on world views in general and world views of indigenous peoples in particular. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Worldviews of Southeast Asia |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
|
| Description for Course: |
Southeast Asia is an economically dynamic and politically important region with a unique world view. This course aims to instill an awareness of the current political and cultural conditions of the area as well as an understanding of the historical development of the region’s world view from prehistoric times to the post-colonial period. This task will be accomplished through dealing with such issues as the development of international trade, the arrival of new religions, interactions with neighboring regions (i.e. India and China), the increased dominance of European colonial powers and the eventual emergence of independent Southeast Asian states. Recent events in Southeast Asia will be placed in the context of the Cold War, the rise of a global economy and the increased importance of the Pacific Rim as a place where a diversity of world views interact. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Worldviews of the Ancients |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
|
| Description for Course: |
In this course we will look at the world views of the ancient Maya, Greeks and Egyptians and study in detail their respective beliefs about the cosmos and man's place in it. Students will first be introduced to the history of our knowledge of these past civilizations and how over time our vision of them has changed in fundamental ways. We will then discuss some of the modern methodology for the study of ancient societies and the challenges that we face in trying to understand cultures different from our own. We will also study what we know today about the history, culture and intellectual achievements of the Maya, Greeks and Egyptians. Finally, we will examine in detail the key themes and ideas that characterize the myths, religion and literature that make up the world views of each civilization. |
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| 345-102-MQ |
Worldviews with New School |
3 - 0 - 3 |
45 |
|
| Description for Course: |
The World Views course introduces students to the idea of using conceptual frameworks for understanding, from culturally and historically diverse standpoints, how the world is structured, functions and develops. Students are encouraged to increase their awareness and understanding of different views of humanity and its place in the world. New School’s approach to learning is based on the principles of Critical Pedagogy and Humanistic Education. Students are divided into smaller learning groups. These groups explore the same learning competencies as in the regular course, but our facilitators give students a greater role in shaping their courses and designing their assessments. Our aim is to relate our studies to our personal and social lives, and to link the personal to the political. Go to the New School website for more information about our approach. |
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