The Philosophy of History, Vol. 2 of 2

The lectures trace European history from the decline of Rome through the medieval and early modern periods, interpreting events from a Christian philosophical perspective. Topics include the migrations and settlements of Germanic peoples, the rise of Islam and the Saracen empires, formation of medieval Christian polities, the Guelf-Ghibelline conflicts, the emergence of romantic art and scholastic learning, the moral and social crises of the late Middle Ages, the Reformation and its uneven political consequences, the religious wars, and the eighteenth-century political order and intellectual currents culminating in debates about societal regeneration. The approach emphasizes interplay between political institutions, religious ideas, and cultural development.