Course Description

ICU is well known as the pioneer liberal arts university in Japan. But what is meant by the liberal arts?This course will introduce students to the history and present-day implications and significance of a liberal arts education. Beginning with Socrates, the course will trace the evolution of liberal learning (as a distinctive approach to education) through the European middle ages up to the present day.

ICUは日本のリベラルアーツのパイオニアとして有名だが、そもそもリベラルアーツとは何だろうか？このクラスはリベラルアーツの歴史とその現代的意義について、中世ヨーロッパから現代に至る世界史的な視野から考察する。

Sep 9 No Class (Reading: Nussbaum, Introduction)

Sep 12 Introduction: What is Liberal Arts?

Sep 16 The Socratic Tradition: (Reading: Nussbaum, Chapt 1 Socratic Self Examination)

Sep 19 Special Lecture and discussion led by Professor Yoshinori Sano: Greek Drama as an Educationa Medium: Antigone

Sep 23 Holiday No Class

Sep 26 Liberal Arts Exercise 1: Religious Literacy and the Liberal Arts

  Enhancing Religious Literacy in a Liberal Arts Education through the Study of Islam and Muslim Societies

  (Reading form the Harvard Sampler) Discussion: What is meant by religious literacy?

  Assignment 1 due

Sep 30 The Seven Liberal Arts

Oct 03 Special Lecture and Discussion led by Professor Kei Nasu: Amateruism and the Educaiton of an English Gentleman

Oct 07 Liberal Arts Exercise 2: The Internet: Freedom and Fear (Reading from the Harvard Sampler)

Oct 14 Liberal Arts in the Nineteenth Century

Oct 21 Japan and Liberal Arts

Oct 24 Special Lecture by Professor Alan Nelson on Liberal Arts in USA

Oct 28 Liberal Art Exercise 3: Securing Human Rights: Philosophical Inquiries about the Universal Declaration

  (Reading from the Harvard Sampler)

Oct 31 Discussion: ICU and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights

  Assignment 3 due

Nov 04 Holiday No Class

Nov 07 Film: Dead Poet Society

Nov 11 Socrates Revisited: Liberal Arts for the 21st Century (Reading: Nussbaum, concluding chapter)