HUM 1 explores the origins of many of the beliefs that have shaped our world and defined what it means to be human. As the first course in the HUM sequence, HUM 1 introduces students to the study of the Humanities through engagement with foundational works of literature, philosophy, history, and art from the Ancient Mediterranean. By focusing on this historical period, HUM 1 allows students to interact meaningfully with cultures that were integral to the formation of the Western intellectual tradition as well as universal beliefs—related to knowledge, morality, sexuality, and religion—that have shaped the world up to the present day. Moreover, HUM 1 engages with these unique and innovative cultures to investigate some of the central questions that have shaped humans since our earliest stories: How should we live? What should we believe? What does it mean to be “good”?

Bretton Rodriguez, Associate Director