All Courses

In this course, Professor Hugh Cunningham (University of Kent) explores the historical development of childhood from the early modern period to the present. In the first lecture, we consider Philippe Ariès’ hugely influential insights regarding...

In this course, Dr Nandini Chatterjee explores the decline and fall of the Mughal Empire, from the reign of Aurangzeb (1658-1707) to the disintegration of the Empire after his death. We begin by thinking about the reign of Aurangzeb, looking...

In this course, Dr Rosie Wyles (University of Kent) provides an introduction to Greek theatre – specifically, the tragic and comic drama of fifth-century BC Athens. In the first lecture, we think about some of the religious and civic contexts for...

In this course Dr Chris Deacy (University of Kent) explores death and the afterlife. In the first module, we think about some questions raised by the fact of death and the prospect of an afterlife. After that, we look at the role of Heaven,...

In this course Dr Stephen Plant (University of Cambridge) explores the life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In the first module, we look at the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the historical context in which his theology emerged. In the second...

In this course, Professor Andrew Preston (University of Cambridge) explores why the United States decided to escalate the Vietnam War. In the first module, we look at the historical debate surrounding the US’s involvement in the Vietnam War. In...

In this course, Dr Matthew Williams (University of Oxford) explores the concept of ‘affirmative action’ in the United States through the question ‘Why have critics asserted that affirmative action should be declared unconstitutional?’ In the...

In this course, Professor Sondra Hausner (University of Oxford) explores Émile Durkheim’s writings about religion. In the first lecture, we introduce some key underpinnings of Durkheim’s work, such as his emphasis on the scientific method, his...

In this course, Professor Simon Ditchfield (University of York) explores the Catholic Reformation. We begin by thinking about approaches to the period, focusing in particular on the various terms that historians have used to describe the reforms...

In this course, Professor Katie Willis (Royal Holloway, University of London) explores theories of global development. In the first lecture, we look at development as a contested concept, and at some of the ways it has been defined and measured....

In this course, Dr Ayoub Bouguettaya (University of Birmingham) explores the concepts of abnormality, phobias, and psychopathy. In the first lecture, we define abnormality and discuss how social norms, adequate functioning, harm to others, and...

In this course, Professor Jeffrey Collins (Queen’s University) explores the political theory of Thomas Hobbes, primarily through his best-known work Leviathan. In the first module, we are introduced to Hobbes’s life and times, and briefly place...

In this course, Professor Eric Rauchway (UC, Davis) discusses the New Deal. We start by looking at the economic conditions of the election year of 1932. After this, we compare and contrast the beliefs and motivations of the two candidates of the...

In this course, Professor Pat Thane (Birkbeck, University of London) explores family policy in Britain since the 1960s. In the first lecture, we set the context by thinking about some key features of family life prior to the 1960s. In the second...