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Fall 2006 Danz course instructed by Sara Goering (Philosophy) and Janelle Taylor (Anthropology).
The Danz Courses in the Humanities
provide unique opportunities for University of Washington first-year
students to engage in challenging, cross-disciplinary work. These
courses introduce students to the study of the humanities (including
literature, history, philosophy, cultural studies, and film) and
build the intellectual foundation for a liberal arts education
through the study of human thought, values, beliefs, creativity,
and culture. Teams of talented faculty from diverse disciplines
bring their perspectives to the Danz Courses in the Humanities,
encouraging students to become active and creative learners within
the university community. Offered for VLPA, I&S, and Writing credit, a Danz
Course is offered Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters.
The Danz Courses in the Humanities are made possible by the generous financial support of Fredric Danz, a College of Arts and Sciences alumnus (‘40) and longtime benefactor of the humanities at the University of Washington with additional thanks to the Graduate School for their support of the graduate student teacher assistants.
Danz Course Archives
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Autumn 2007 • Humanities
204 (VLPA, I&S, W, 5 credits)
The Role of Perspective in History, Science, and Design
Axel Roesler (Visual Communication Design)
Phillip Thurtle (Comparative History of Ideas)
Powerful, influential, and elegant, the discovery of perspective marks a turning point across the cultures of the world. By linking instruments with maps and concepts, its invention transformed the art and science of navigation while redrawing the relationship between people and their environment. In this course we will explore the role of perspective in history, science, geography, knowledge, and design.
Perspective techniques have allowed scientists to explore micro- and macro- levels of the world. They enable photographers to show some aspects of an image while omitting other parts of the picture. In a digital and global age of omnipresent and proliferating images, perspective techniques inform how we see ourselves and others. At the same time, they raise questions about objectivity by demonstrating the constraints and limits on any form of vision, knowledge, or expertise. In this course students will discover the principles of perspective, their implications, and they will apply perspective techniques in the critique and design of artifacts, plans, images, and narratives.
Course syllabus (pdf)
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Undergraduate Courses