Unit name | Approaches to Ancient History |
---|---|
Unit code | CLAS22404 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Edwin Shaw |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
How do ancient historians 'do' ancient history? Students are usually left to discover this through a process of trial and error, attempting to produce work that satisfies their teachers as if the practice of history is something that doesn't actually need to be taught. In this unit, however, we shall be concentrating on questions of historical theory and methodology: not learning facts about the ancient world, but investigating how historians go about identifying 'facts' and putting them together to construct narratives about the past. We shall be studying key debates in the philosophy of history (for example, whether historians can succeed in producing objective accounts of 'how it really was' in the past, and how far historical texts should be studied as a kind of literature), and looking at various theories which can be used in the study of antiquity.
Aims:
On successful completion of this unit students should:
1. be familiar with the main issues involved in the theory and philosophy of history, and in the application of theories to the study of ancient history. They should be familiar with the basic ideas and concepts of a variety of theoretical approaches.
2. have an understanding of how different theories are used in ancient history and assessing the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches.
3. be able to use the knowledge acquired in lectures and through their own researches to construct coherent, relevant and persuasive arguments on the uses of historical theory and methods.
4. have had the opportunity to develop their skills in oral and written communication, in small groups and in general discussion. They should also have gained experience in developing their own ideas, identifying key issues and evaluating historical accounts critically.
Three hours of seminars per week
An analysis of an article or book chapter (1000 words, 25%)
A book review (1000 words, 25%)
A theoretical assessment (2500 words, 50%). All three test ILOs 1-4.