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Western society's transition from the medieval worldview to modernity is understood to begin with a cultural rebirth - the Renaissance - starting in the fourteenth century. A fresh engagement with the ancient Graeco-Roman world inspired artists and writers, physicians and political theorists. They began to consider themselves 'moderns' and denigrated the centuries since the fall of Rome as a 'dark age'. The result was an enduring transformation in European culture and society.

In this course, this narrative will be examined afresh. To what extent was the Renaissance a product of Italian capitalism? What were the contributions of northern Europe, the Islamic world, and the 'age of discovery'? Did it revive or reinvent the classical world? What was its relationship to the scientific method, the university, feminism and the novel? Did it give birth to the individual? Or is it an imposition on the past by historiographical consensus and imagination? Would it, in fact, be more accurate to speak of a series of connected 'renaissances'?

Through an examination of a broad but interrelated set of themes, the syllabus invites the student to not only learn about this fascinating period, but to consider the continuities that exist to the present day.

Module convener: Dr Stephen BatesLink opens in a new window

All classes will take place on Monday afternoons, 4-6pm, in room FAB 1.06.

Module codes are: RS200-15 (intermediate students) and RS300-15 (final year students).

Assessment method is 100% essay. Intermediate students-1 x 3500-word essay chosen from a list of given titles; Final year students-1 x 4000–4500 word essay, on a freely chosen topic determined in consultation with the module convenor and/or tutors.