Western Civilization I will give students an overview of the history of the Western world from the dawn of civilization to the Late Middle Ages. The class will discuss creation myths, religions, human nature, philosophy, culture, politics, war, and the rise and fall of nations. We will explore the world of ancient philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; we will study the empirical tactics of Alexander the Great, and heroic deeds of Odysseus; we will read religious texts from the Bible, the Qur'an, and the Book of the Dead, to works of philosophy like Nicomachean Ethics, and De Officiis. All the while we will be asking ourselves the questions that mankind has been asking since the beginning of time. Who am I? What is my purpose? Is there a Deity, and if there is, what is my relationship with a supreme being? What is the nature of man and government? Using the Socratic Method, students will learn how to think, pursue truth, and apply what they have learned to their own lives.