Humanities Courses
Intensive Studies Catalog HomeCTY offers the Steven Muller Humanities Program in honor of Dr. Steven Muller, President Emeritus of Johns Hopkins University, who established CTY in 1979. In so doing, he committed the University to advancing academic talent among pre-collegiate students both in the US and abroad.
In humanities courses, students answer the “why” behind human thoughts and behaviors. They may choose to engage in historical and philosophical inquiry, study politics or psychology, or delve into the classics. All humanities courses, at their core, have the same fundamental goal: to expose students to fields of academic inquiry that may be new to them and to inspire them to be lifelong students of the human condition.
Students engage the underpinnings of our political and social world as they examine how historical events shape our present and were shaped by our past, what our rights and obligations as humans are, and how our minds work. Students satisfy a natural curiosity by wrestling with questions about who they are and what they believe. Along the way, under the guidance of an instructor, they learn to address sometimes sensitive and controversial topics in an academic manner.
Students leave humanities courses prepared to lay bare the complexities embedded in what often appear to be the simplest assertions or events. They leave better able to ask the right questions, to critically judge others’ positions, and to formulate and articulate, both through written and oral communication, well-reasoned arguments as opposed to merely stating their opinions. Most importantly, they leave more ready to be active and knowledgeable participants in the world in which they live.
Please refer to our Eligibility web page for minimum test score requirements for humanities courses. The following humanities courses are listed below:
Classics
Philosophy
History & Social Science
- Russian History
- Law and Politics in US History
- International Politics
- Cognitive Psychology
- Taking Action: Leadership and Service
Sample syllabi for all courses are also available.
Given the nature of certain humanities courses, students occasionally confront controversial topics in class. These topics are approached from an academic standpoint with the support and guidance of instructors.
Economics Course: CTY also offers Fundamentals of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics and the Global Economy, which are listed with our Intensive Studies math courses. These classes are also open to Intensive Studies humanities qualifiers, so long as they have taken Algebra I. Please see our Math course listings for more information.
Classics Course Descriptions and Syllabi
Beginning Ancient Greek
This course covers the fundamentals of ancient Greek and provides a basic introduction to the history and culture of ancient Greek civilization. As students learn introductory vocabulary, syntax, and grammar, they develop the translation skills needed to read excerpts from authors such as Homer and Plato. Exercises in prose composition help students translate ancient Greek phrases and passages into polished English and vice versa. Lectures, readings in English, discussions, and simulations provide students with insight into the aesthetics and ideals of the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods of Greek history.
This fast-paced course covers the equivalent of one year of high school or one semester of college ancient Greek. Students memorize large amounts of material in a short time, read works of prose and poetry, and learn about the contributions of ancient Greece to Western civilization. Prior knowledge of ancient Greek is not assumed.
Note: Students who have taken CTY’s Ancient Greek should not enroll in this course.
Sample texts: Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek, Book I, Balme; The Odyssey, Homer; Homeric Greek, Pharr.
Session 1: Lancaster
Session 2: Lancaster
Latin I
This course covers the fundamentals of Latin and provides a basic introduction to Roman history and culture. As students learn introductory Latin vocabulary, syntax, and grammar, they develop the translation skills needed to read excerpts from authors such as Virgil, Livy, Horace, and Cicero. Exercises in prose composition help students translate Latin phrases and passages into polished English and vice versa. Lectures, readings in English, discussions, and simulations provide students with insight into the aesthetics and ideals of ancient Rome.
This fast-paced course covers the equivalent of one year of high school or one semester of college Latin. Students memorize large amounts of material in a short time, read works of prose and poetry, and learn about the contributions of ancient Rome to Western civilization. Prior knowledge of Latin is not assumed.
Sample texts: Oxford Latin Course, Part I and Part II, Balme and Morwood; The Metamorpheses, Ovid.
Session 1: Lancaster, Los Angeles
Session 2: Lancaster, Los Angeles
Philosophy Course Descriptions and Syllabi
Logic: Principles of Reasoning
Logic is the science of proper reasoning. Lawyers, doctors, and mathematicians all employ logic as they build arguments, diagnose diseases, and prove theorems. In this course, students learn the techniques of logic and develop their analytical reasoning skills. They learn to produce valid arguments and to differentiate valid from fallacious reasoning.
After being introduced to foundational concepts such as validity, soundness, and consistency, students explore informal logic, the process of evaluating language-based arguments. They indentify common logical fallacies, discern patterns of proper reasoning, and evaluate syllogisms using Venn diagrams. The heart of the course, however, is the study of formal logic, the method of analyzing and validating arguments by means of symbolic notation. Students employ truth tables to precisely evaluate complex arguments and use natural deduction techniques to prove arguments valid.
Throughout the course, students apply the methods they have learned by analyzing editorials, speeches, and philosophical works; constructing arguments about enduring questions and contemporary issues; engaging in debates; and writing proofs. They leave the course having developed the rigorous analytical-reasoning and critical-thinking skills crucial to all academic and professional inquiry.
Note: While this is a humanities class, students are asked to use symbolic notation and write proofs, much like they do in math classes.
Sample texts: A Concise Introduction to Logic, Hurley; a philosophical work such as The Trial and Death of Socrates, Plato.
Session 1: Baltimore, Lancaster, Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs, Seattle
Session 2: Baltimore, Lancaster, Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs, Seattle
Ethics
We all face ethical choices in our lives. How do we know what is “good” and “bad,” or “right” and “wrong”? For that matter, are there objective standards of ethics by which we can judge individuals or their actions?
Students address these issues by reflecting upon their commonsense intuitions about how we ought to live our lives. They revisit their initial thoughts by applying analytical reasoning to their own insights. In so doing, students investigate the debate between moral relativism, which denies ethical distinctions such as right and wrong, and moral realism, which upholds them. They then examine major attempts to develop coherent theories capable of guiding moral decisions. Among these are views like utilitarianism, in which moral choices are evaluated based upon their consequences; approaches inspired by Kant’s claim that moral actions derive from a universal principle of morality that is objective and rational; and virtue ethics, which focuses on the cultivation of morally worthwhile traits in each individual.
Throughout the course, students investigate how different ethical theories affect judgments on current ethical dilemmas such as capital punishment, animal rights, and war. As they wrestle with ethical issues, students critique primary philosophical works, participate in discussions and debates, and write analytical essays.
Sample texts: Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues, Cahn and Markie; primary source material from philosophers such as Aristotle, Kant, and Mill.
Session 1: Baltimore, Carlisle
Session 2: Baltimore, Carlisle, Los Angeles
Existentialism
When attempting to define existentialism, the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said, “A simple formula would be to say that life taught me la force des choses—the power of circumstances.” Students consider a number of major questions: Do human beings create their own nature through freedom of choice? In what ways do people affect the world around them? Is there a universal set of rules or values one should follow? By examining these complex issues, students gain a solid introduction to the study of existentialist philosophy.
In this course, students approach existentialist philosophy as a way of understanding broader philosophical themes. Students begin with a brief overview of Western philosophy, examining foundational thinkers such as Plato and Descartes, and then move on to the precursors of existentialism, exploring the writings of Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche.
With this foundation, students turn to the works of writers such as Martin Heidegger, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Franz Kafka. As students explore existentialist thought and its effect on broader issues in philosophy, they critique primary philosophical works, participate in discussions and debates, and write analytical essays.
Sample texts: Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre, Kaufmann; No Exit and Three Other Plays, Sartre; The Stranger, Camus.
Session 1: Carlisle
Session 2: Carlisle
Philosophy of Mind
What is the nature of mind? How is the mind related to the brain? What is consciousness? Can we be certain that others have minds and conscious experiences? Is artificial intelligence possible?
In this course, students explore questions such as these as they analyze both historical and contemporary philosophical attempts to explain the mind. Beginning with philosophers such as René Descartes, students investigate traditional dualist attempts to characterize the mind as a non-physical entity existing independently of our bodies. Students then analyze various versions of materialism, which purport that the mind and mental phenomena are purely physical entities. Among the materialist formulations that students examine are the mind-brain identity thesis, materialist functionalism, and supervenience. With a foundational understanding of the central philosophical positions on the mind-body problem, students contemplate to what extent other animals and machines can be said to possess minds.
As students attempt to shed light on the nature of mind, they critique primary philosophical works, participate in discussions and debates, and write analytical essays.
Sample text: Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Chalmers.
Session 1: Carlisle, Lancaster, Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs
Session 2: Lancaster, Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs
History and Social Science Course Descriptions and Syllabi
Russian History
This course is a survey of the history of modern Russia from the time of Peter the Great (1682) to the present. Students explore the old Romanov Empire; Russian political events and revolutions; Russia’s role in the two world wars; and Russian art, music, and literature. Throughout this historical survey, students examine major personalities such as Catherine the Great; czars Alexander I, Alexander II (the Czar Liberator), and Nicholas II; as well as Lenin, Stalin, and Gorbachev from the Soviet era. Special attention is devoted to the implosion of the Soviet Empire and the emergence of a Russia in transition under Yeltsin, Putin, and Medvedev. Students work with primary documents in research assignments, hone their writing skills, and develop their speaking capabilities in daily discussions and final research presentations.
Sample text: A History of Russia, Riasanovsky and Steinberg.
Session 1: Carlisle
Session 2: Not offered
Law and Politics in US History
In the 1830s, French observer Alexis de Tocqueville stated, “Scarcely any political question arises in the United States that is not resolved, sooner or later, into a judicial question.” Although Alexander Hamilton believed the judiciary would be the weakest branch of government, decisions like Marbury v. Madison established that the Supreme Court’s power to review and interpret the law is arguably as great as the power to create it. In this history course, students consider the law and the judiciary who apply it. They examine such questions as: Should the law serve the interests of the majority or protect vulnerable minorities? To what extent should the law be interpreted independently of contemporary social context?
Students learn about the legal theories that inform the answers to these questions, such as formalism, realism, strict constructionism, originalism, and critical studies. They study the historical and social contexts which gave rise to these theories and the cases to which they were applied. Using examples such as Plessy v. Ferguson, the Brandeis Brief, Roe v. Wade, and Bower v. Hardwick, students explore the culture that brought these cases to the courts and the reasoning judges used in their rulings. As students consider the many complex issues raised by court decisions, they scrutinize primary documents, participate in discussions and debates, and write analytical essays.
Sample texts: American Legal History: Cases and Materials, Hall; A People's History of the Supreme Court, Irons.
Session 1: Baltimore, Los Angeles
Session 2: Baltimore, Los Angeles
International Politics
The dynamics of international relations change constantly. Pictures of students facing down their own government’s tanks in Tiananmen Square have been replaced by images of antinarcotics operations in Latin America and revolutionary protests in the Arab world. What are the historical and political causes of regional instability suggested in these images, and what can they tell us about our changing world order? Is the nation-state still the traditional power center of the international system in a world increasingly affected by globalization and humanitarian crises? How does the transnational flow of people, goods, and ideas shape some of the most pressing issues of today, such as state security and sovereignty? Students address these and other questions as they examine various geopolitical theories and the methodologies scholars use to understand and analyze world events.
This course combines the study of international relations with geography. Students learn how different actors, populations, regions, and global organizations relate to and affect one another. In addition, they examine issues such as culture, religion, environment, and technology alongside history, government, and economics. By exploring the interaction of these variables, students think critically about the complex forces that shape our world.
Sample texts: World Politics in the 21st Century, Duncan; Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in World Politics, Rourke; a major newspaper; an atlas chosen by the instructor.
Session 1: Baltimore, Carlisle, Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs, Seattle
Session 2: Baltimore, Carlisle, Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs
Cognitive Psychology
Are we beings that act solely in response to external stimuli or can the wealth of ideas and thoughts we possess spring from a yet unknown corner of the mind? Cognitive psychology is often referred to as the science of the mind. By exploring how we organize and process the abundance of information we receive from our environment, cognitive psychologists reveal what is going on behind the scenes of mental processes.
Taking a theoretical approach, students examine cognitive processes such as perception, attention, learning, memory, language, intelligence, and creativity. They gain a greater understanding of this innovative field by exploring the progression of ideas that led to the Cognitive Revolution, core research methodologies within the discipline, and fundamental neurological structures involved in cognitive processes. Through observational studies, group discussions, contemporary readings, and evaluation of research and theory, students begin to understand human beings as information processors.
Students leave this course with a richer understanding of how people make sense of the complex world around them. For eaplxme, how is it taht rdaeres are albe to usrtadennd tihs setnecne wuhtoit mcuh dcuifflity eevn tgouhh olny the fsrit and lsat lrettes of mnay wrods are in the pperor pclae?
Sample text: Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research and Everyday Experience, Goldstein.
Session 1: Lancaster, Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs
Session 2: Lancaster, Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs
Taking Action: Leadership and Service
Each year, more than three million Americans experience homelessness. More than eleven million go hungry. One out of every six children in America lives in poverty. Why does this happen, and what can young people do about it? As a recent student in this class remarked, “Everyone knows social issues exist and wants to help—this course teaches how to do so.”
Offered through a partnership with the Center for Talent Development’s award-winning Civic Education Project, this innovative course integrates academic study with meaningful community service for an experience that participants routinely describe as “eye-opening” and “life-changing.” Students split their time between the classroom and supervised hands-on service projects with community organizations ranging from homeless shelters to Head Start programs to top political offices. Through academic research, small group work, and facilitated reflection, students investigate the root causes of and proposed solutions to pressing social problems. By applying academic rigor outside of the classroom, they gain a deeper understanding of complex social issues and learn how young people can lead change and make a difference in their communities.
This course enhances communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, and prepares students for a lifetime of leadership and civic engagement.
Note: Students who have taken CTY’s Youth and Society: Service Learning should not enroll in this class.
Sample texts: Active Citizenship Today, Degelman and Hayes; Free the Children, Kielburger.
Field Trip Fee: $65
Session 1: Baltimore
Session 2: Baltimore
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