Humanities Courses

Explore the birth of modern China with a focus on the time between the fall of the Qing and the end of World War II.

Explore the Maoist period of China, from the Communist Party to the death of Mao and the reopening of China.

Use the case study method to study China from the rise of Deng Xiaoping to the present.

Why should we care about Confucius? Explore ancient Chinese philosophy, ethics, and political theory to challenge your assumptions of what it means to be happy, live a meaningful life, and change the world.

Learn how early American politics informed the U.S. Constitution and why its promise of liberty and equality has yet to be fully realized.

Learn about the forces in American politics that seek to influence the electorate and shift the political landscape.

Traces Albert Einstein’s engagement with relativity, quantum mechanics, Nazism, nuclear weapons, philosophy, the arts, and technology.

This introduction to moral and political philosophy is one of the most popular courses taught at Harvard College.

Develop skills in digital research and visualization techniques across subjects and fields within the humanities.

Combine literary research with data science to find answers in unexpected ways. Learn basic coding tools to help save time and draw insights from thousands of digital documents at once.

Learn how global warming impacts human health, and the ways we can diminish those impacts.

Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.

Explore the ethical controversies of financial markets.

Learn about Christianity through a study of its sacred scriptures. We will explore how diverse Christians have interpreted these writings and practiced their teachings over a 2000 year, global history.

Learn about the key beliefs and practices of Judaism through an examination of its sacred texts and their interpretation.