Foundations of Western Culture II: Renaissance to Modernity
A survey of literary and philosophical texts tracing Western ideas about ethics and political life from the Renaissance to the modern era. The course examines how scientific thought reshaped human self-understanding, the gradual retreat of religious and supernatural frameworks, and the consequences of reason operating without religious guidance. Readings draw from major figures in the Western canon and complement MIT's companion course 21L001, with classroom discussion focused on analyzing how these texts came to define the modern world's cultural heritage. Materials include the reading list and course structure as published through MIT OpenCourseWare, offered free with no certificate. Suited to students interested in intellectual history and the literature of ideas rather than a narrow period survey, the course treats religion's decline as a historical development to be examined rather than an agenda to be advanced.