The era of the Enlightenment played a key role in shaping the world in which we now live. The eighteenth century saw the rise of new forms of intellectual culture which challenged political, social and religious order in a process that stretched from Europe to the Americas and parts of Asia and Africa. This course assists students to explore the Enlightenment in its historical context. Going beyond the traditional history of ideas, we will examine the major thinkers of the period within the framework of the national and international cultures that shaped their thought. We will consider the social origins of the enlightenment in different settings; changing relationships between philosophers, the state and the public; competing visions of social and political life amongst Enlightenment thinkers; and the long-term legacy of the Enlightenment as a whole.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
1) Demonstrate critical understanding of key themes and issues in the study of the Enlightenment
2) Analyse and explicate major ideas associated with the history of the Enlightenment
3) Explain relationships between the intellectual developments of the period and broader issues of historical context
4) Use period sources to reconstruct attitudes, beliefs and arguments from the past
5) Construct evidence-based arguments about the origins, character and/or legacy of the Enlightenment
Indicative Assessment
- Research Essay of 2,500 words, 50% (LOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- Exam, 40% (LOs 1,2,3,4,5)
- Oral and/or written contribution to class activities – 10% (1,2,3,4)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials; and b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Weekly tutorial reading will be made available to students in electronic form.
Students seeking preliminary reading for the course might look at:
D. Edelstein, The Enlightenment: A Genealogy (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2010)
M. Fitzpatrick et al. (eds.), The Enlightenment World (Abingdon: Routledge, 2004)
I. Kramnick, The Portable Enlightenment Reader (Penguin: New York, 1995)
D. Outram, The Enlightenment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995/2005)
Majors
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $2820 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $4320 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
