This innovative two-volume primary source reader is designed to give students an opportunity to evaluate and interact—through both discussion and writing—with some of the greatest ideas and creative expressions of humanity. Chronological in format—with individual units focused on time periods, specific events, and historical questions, it is internally organized around six major themes—The Institution and the Individual; Social and Spiritual Values; The Power Structure; Revolution and Transition; The Varieties of Truth; and Women in History and the Humanities. Throughout the volumes, students are confronted with basic questions regarding historical development, human nature, moral action, and practical necessity.