Free Humanities Courses

Explore China’s imperial period, with a focus on the Song dynasty and the role of the exam system in government.

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

Discover Handel’s Messiah in this installment of First Nights, which will explore five masterpieces of western music.

Learn about the rich and diverse beliefs and practices of Buddhists across time and place. Experience Buddhism through its scriptures, both relationally as well as academically.

An overview of divination systems, ranging from ancient Chinese bone burning to modern astrology.

Learn about Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, one of the first operas ever written.

Learn about China’s origins, its integral early thinkers, and competing states and schools of thought.

Learn the fascinating history of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, one of the most challenging and rewarding ballets ever written.

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

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.

Explore the reunification of China under the Tang with a focus on aristocratic culture — from poetry to calligraphy to literature.

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

Learn about Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, an iconic Romantic symphony that ushered in an era of narrative “program music.”

Explore the ethical controversies of financial markets.