Examines the causes of the American Civil War, why the North won, how military campaigns unfolded, and how the war affected various elements of American society

Presents 24 lectures discussing the flowering of European medieval civilization between 1000 and 1300, with examination of social conditions, intellectual and religious history, and political developments.

"During the 229-year period from 1485 to 1714, England transformed itself from a minor feudal state into what has been called "the first modern society," and emerged as the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. Those years hold a huge story. The English people survived repeated epidemics and famines, one failed invasion and two successful ones, two civil wars, a series of violent religious reformations and counter-reformations, and confrontations...

Few nations have as long and intricate a history as China. Despite a world grown increasingly smaller, China is still seen as a faraway, exotic land, shrouded in secrets, veiled with the mysteries of ages past. For most of its 5,000-year existence, China has been the largest, most populous, wealthiest, and mightiest nation on Earth - facts left unexplored in the history courses most of us in the West have taken. It is essential that Westerners...

Lectures by Dr. David Zarefsky, Professor of Argumentation and Debate and Professor of Communication Studies, Northwestern University, cover the history of rhetoric and debate as well as analysis of different types of arguments in various situations.

Everyone has to think in order to function in the world, and this course will equip you with the tools to reason effectively in your pursuit of reliable beliefs and useful knowledge. Whether you are a budding philosopher searching for ultimate truths, a science student grappling with the nature of scientific proof, a new parent weighing conflicting child-rearing advice, or a concerned citizen making up your mind about today's issues, Tools of Thinking...

Examines the philosophical underpinnings of this nation's history. Explores how this nation has, from its birth, been deeply engaged with the fundamental questions of political philosophy and how political history continues to influence the current day.

This course provides a survey of the expanse of human development and civilization across the globe. It begins with the invention of agriculture in the Neolithic era and ends with the urbanized, technologically sophisticated world of the 21st century.

Covers the late middle ages of history.