The University of Notre Dame is launching its celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by offering a new course open to all Notre Dame students, alumni, and the general public. The course, “1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World,” will be taught by Vincent Philip Muñoz, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government, and James Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics and Concurrent Professor of Political Science.
“Everyone who wants to learn about the Declaration of Independence should have the opportunity to do so,” Muñoz said, “which is why we look forward to welcoming the public to this course as well as any interested students.” Those interested but not local to the University may access the course through its livestream and recordings, which will be available on the CCCG’s YouTube channel, and the syllabus and course readings posted on the CCCG website.
Classes will take place from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Jordan Auditorium in the Mendoza College of Business, beginning on Tuesday, January 13 and concluding on Tuesday, April 7. Central topics will include liberty, equality, the Declaration of Independence, and Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Course readings draw from the writings of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Karl Marx, among others. No prerequisites are required.
More details about the course can be found on the CCCG website.