HUMN 2221

(3 Credits) 3 Lecture hours This course explores the relationship between competing modes of understanding the natural world, in relation to the self, society, and the supernatural. In particular, it compares various models of acquiring and arranging knowledge, of explaining events in the natural realm, and of appealing to worlds unseen. It examines various understandings of the relationship between human beings, non-human agents, and nature, as well as human efforts to understand and control the natural world. It examines competing authoritative structures that enforce bodies of knowledge, resolve disputes and preside over methods of inquiry. Each particular iteration of the course will specify a historical period in which to consider these themes in relation to ideas about science, magic, and religion and could focus on regions as diverse as the African continent, South Asia, the Middle East, or Western Europe.