What is meant by the term Enlightenment when used to describe a historical period? Analyze how the Enlightenment was defined both in terms of ideas and in terms of social practices, and explain the context from which those ideas and practices emerged.
Compare the points of view expressed in Chinese, European, and Islamic ideas about cartography (mapmaking) between 1500 and 1780. How did they reflect the broader perspectives of their societies?
Compare the cultural traditions that developed in Tokugawa Japan with those of Enlightenment era Western Europe. What were the characteristics of each cultural world? What influences led each to develop as it did?