A Brief History of the World

Take a whirlwind tour of the history of humanity in this enlightening course taught by an award-winning professor of history.

Overview

Course No. 8080

The construction of the great pyramids of Egypt, the development of democracy in ancient Greece, the glories of ancient Rome – these stories are familiar to students of history. But what about the rest of the world?

This 36-lecture course surveys the expanse of human development and civilization across the globe. From the invention of agriculture in the Neolithic era to the urbanized, technologically sophisticated world of the 21st century, you’ll apprehend “the big picture” of world history. You’ll examine and compare the peoples, cultures, and nations of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas to understand how, throughout history, peoples all over the world have connected and interacted, traded goods and technology, and conquered and learned from each other.

Video Lectures

Part 1: Foundations of Civilization

1. What and Why Is World History? (33 min)
   Introduction to world history as a discipline, covering its main subjects of inquiry: comparison of civilizations, contacts among societies, and large-scale forces that shape interactions.
2. The Neolithic Revolution (31 min)
   Exploration of the rise of agriculture and its profound impact on human development and early civilizations.
3. What Is a Civilization? (32 min)
   Review of key technological, cultural, and political innovations that accompanied the development of civilizations worldwide.

Part 2: The Classical World

4. The Classical Period in World History (32 min)
   Examination of great civilizations in China, the Mediterranean, and India from 1000 BCE to 600 CE.
5. Cultural Change in the Classical Period (32 min)
   Analysis of influential cultural systems including Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity.
6. Social Inequalities in Classical Societies (33 min)
   Comparison of social systems across Classical civilizations and their views on class and gender inequality.

[Continues with all 36 lectures organized similarly by historical period…]

Part 6: The Modern World

34. Contemporary Cultural Change (32 min)
    Examination of 20th century changes in belief systems including nationalism, Marxism, consumerism and religious fundamentalism.
35. Gender in Contemporary World History (32 min)
    Analysis of changing gender relations and conditions for women in the modern era.
36. Globalization and World History (36 min)
    Exploration of globalization’s historical context and speculation about future global trends.