《西方人文传统研究（500-1800）》主要研究15世纪到18世纪西方创造性的文化遗产（人文科学humanlities），包括文学、哲学、历史、视觉艺术等。所选思想内容和艺术作品主要根据两个原则：一是它们必须代表它们所处时代的精神和价值观，从某种角度上看也能代表永恒的价值观（如达·芬奇的作品代表了当时人们探索宇宙运转规律的决心，同时也代表人类永恒的价值观）；二是这些思想和作品要能对中国的文化发展具有启发性。研究西方创造性文化遗产就是与西方一些伟大的思想家和艺术家的对话，研究他们的思想价值观，然后用他们的价值观来对照、比较我们的价值观，从而扩大我们的文化视野。这种对话也是一种个人享受，得到多大的享受取决于我们的好奇心和耐心。就像永恒的友谊需要耐心、需要培养一样，我们需要耐心和好奇心才能理解他们的思想和作品。了解这些伟大的思想家和艺术家是没有捷径的。本书拟从文本、与文本有关的各种文化背景及含义三个方面展开研究。
《西方人文传统研究（500－1800）》内容涉及15世纪到18世纪西方创造性的文化遗产（人文科学humanlities），包括文学、哲学、历史、视觉艺术等，本书可供相关研究的读者阅读学习。
PART I
WESTERNCIVILIZATION IN THE MIDDLE AGES
（ 500-1500 ）
CHAPTER ONE
THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES
THE ROMANO-GERMANIC CHRISTIANIZED WEST
The Germanic Society
The New Political Structure in the West--The Frankish Empire
The Christian Church
CULTURE OF THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES
Christianity and Classical Learning
The Carolingian Renaissance
THE BYZANTINE WORLD
The Byzantine Empire
The Differences between the Western Church and the
Eastern Church
BYZANTINE CULTURE
Thought
The Preservation of Classical Works
Byzantine Architecture and Mosaics
Byzantine Influence on the West
THE ISLAMIC WORLD
Islam
The Expansion of Islam
ISLAMIC CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS
Islamic History
Islamic Philosophy
Islamic Science
Islamic Architecture
CHAPTER TWO
THE HIGH MIDDLE AGE
FEUDALISM
Vassalage
The Chivalric Code
The Rebirth of Urban Life and Commerce
The Feudal Monarchy
The German Empire
The Reform of the Church
THE CULTURE OF THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES--THE AGE OF
SYNTHESIS
The Cathedral Schools and the Rise of the Universities
The Age of Synthesis: Scholasticism
Vernacular Literature
Architecture and Sculpture
CHAPTER THREE
THE LATE MIDDLE AGES
HARD TIMES AND RECOVERY
Plague, Famine, and Wars
Commercial and Social Dislocation, and Revolts
The Forces of Recovery （Industrialization）
The Secular Monarchies
The Papal Monarchy
THE CULTURE OF THE LATE MIDDLE AGES
Religion
Philosophy and Science
Literature
Art and Architecture
PART II
THE CIVILIZATION OF THE RENAISSANCE
（c. 1350-c. 1550 ）
CHAPTER FOUR
THE EARLY RENAISSANCE
ITALY OF THE EARLY RENAISSANCE
Italian City-states during the Early Renaissance
Renaissance Patrons
HUMANISM AND CLASSICAL REVIVAL IN ITALY
Humanism
The Classical Revival
Petrarch : Father of Humanism
Civic Humanism
Textual Criticism: Lorenzo Valla
Revival of Platonism: Ficino and Pico
The Artistic Renaissance
CHAPTER FIVE
THE HIGH RENAISSANCE AND EARLY MANNERISM
THE STRUGGLE FOR ITALY
The Rise of the Modern Sovereign States: Spain and France ~.*
FROM HIGH RENAISSANCE TO EARLY MANNERISM
High Renaissance
Mannerism
High Renaissance Literature
High Renaissance Painting
High Renaissance Sculpture
High Renaissance Music
CHAPTER SIX
THE NORTHERN RENAISSANCE
CHRISTIAN HUMANISM
Northern Christian Humanism and Desiderius Erasmus
Sir Thomas More and His Utopia
LITERATUER AND ARTS
Literature Renaissance
Artistic Renaissance
SCENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS
Astronomy
Medicine and Anatomy
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE CHRISTIAN REFORMATIONS, RELIGIOUS WARS
AND MANNERISM （ c. 1517-c. 1648 ）
THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION
Martin Luther and the Reformation
The Spreading of the Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Heritage
THE CATHOLIC COUNTER-REFORMATION
The Counter-Reformation Popes
The Council of Trent
The Society of Jesus
A HALF CENTURY OF RELIGIOUS WARS
The French Wars of Religion （ 1562-1598 ）
The Revolt of the Netherlands
Hostility between England and Spain
MANNERISM
PART III
FAITH, REASON, AND POWER IN THE EARLY
MODERN WORLD
（ 1600-1800 ）
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE AGE OF BAROQUE
WARFARE, ABSOLUTISM, AND THE BALANCE OF POWER
The Thirty Yearn' War
The Supreme Example of Absolutism: France
Limited Monarchy: The Dutch Republic and England
THE BAROOUE STYLE
The Florid Baroque and the Roman Catholic Church
The Classical Baroque and the Absolutism in France
The Restrained Baroque in the Netherlands and England
Baroque Literature
Baroque Music
CHAPTER NINE
THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION AND ENLIGHTENMENT
（ 1600-1789 ）
THE SCENTIFIC REVOLUTION
The Empiricist Francis Bacon
The Rationalist Rene Descartes
English and French Traditions
Newton's Law of Gravitation
THE ENLIGHTENMENT
The Intelligibility of the Universe
The Confidence in Scientific Method
The Psychology of John Lock
The Philosophies
CULTURAL TRENDS: FROM ROCOCO TO NEOCLASSICAL
The Rococo Style
Neoclassicism
References
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