<p>Majoring in history at NU, will one be reading authors like Gibbon or Thucydides or are the classes for reading modern commentaries of history by living authors who learned their stuff from gibbon or Thucydides.</p>
<p>bump. I’m looking for a major that you read the classics. Unfortunately this is not the classics major (that focuses mostly on learning attic greek and/or latin). I want to find a major where one reads mostly books found in Great Books of the Western World. But mostly world/classical history primary sources and not modern historians.</p>
<p>Try St. John’s college or another school with a great books curriculum.</p>
<p>ya thats exactly the sarcastic answer i was looking for. Im just asking anyone who is a history major whether any of his books were primary sources or whether they were all modern historians.</p>
<p>If you want to read the classics, I recommend philosophy. I’ve never taken a non-modern history class so I can’t answer your specific question.</p>
<p>Thats very helpful. I have read quite a bit of philosophy and currently am going to plato again after reading nietzsche to try and find and disprove premises (not that Im a just-following-nietzsche moron). Its pretty fun. But i never really thought of it as a major because i really want to study history for undergrad.</p>
<p>Wasn’t really being sarcastic. A great books curriculum would probably fit your desires exactly. But since IIRC you’re an NU ED admit I suppose that’s a boat that’s sailed.</p>
<p>Double major in history and philosophy then. Philosophy will be all primary source readings (except the required course on logic, but really). I know that some history classes DO read the original source materials IN CONJUNCTION with modern historians, but I can’t speak as to whether you’d find at NU (or anywhere) a history program where you could get through without reading any secondary sources at all. A History and Philosophy double major is very easy to accomplish (Philosophy is only 12 credits). I also reccomend you take a look at [Kaplan</a> Humanities Scholars Program](<a href=“http://www.kaplanscholars.northwestern.edu%5DKaplan”>http://www.kaplanscholars.northwestern.edu)</p>
<p>oh okay. I thought you were being sarcastic because i am a NU early admit. Thats great info. Thanks a lot.</p>
<p>I do appreciate more ideas if anyone wants to add though</p>
<p>As an ED admit, do you now have access to CAESAR? If so, you might want to nose around on there. I think some of the class descriptions also include links to the textbooks to be used. Or look on the registrar’s website for class descriptions/guest access to CAESAR.</p>
<p>hahah! ya thats what i just started doing! Im looking of winter history courses and seeing what books they are using. I saw some Francis bacon, but not tons of other classics, but my search just started haha.</p>
<p>Im sure i’ll do fine with the classes. I’ll just choose the classes with the books i like most. I do see some great books. Wells, Notes on the state of virginia, bacon, etc.</p>