HIST4222 · History
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
Animals--as pets, food, victims, endangered species or exhibits--traditionally have been defined by their relationship to human beings. Those relationships, however, change over time and do not always presuppose the animal's biological reality. Hence people put pigs on trial for murder, kept weasels to control the population of basilisks, and made a dog into a saint. This course examines the history of animals until the cusp of the modern age through four themes: the science of animals, the utility or danger of animals in agrarian life, laws pertaining to animals, and the religious symbolism and power of animals.
Course experience
Averages use the original five-point historical evaluation scale.
Organization
4.1 / 5
How well the course was organized
Challenge
4.4 / 5
How intellectually challenging students found it
Attendance
4.4 / 5
How necessary attendance was
Assignments
4.3 / 5
How helpful assignments were
Weekly effort
~5
hours per week
Estimated from the original workload response buckets. Individual sections may differ.
Instructor options
Ratings below reflect only recovered evaluations connected to this course.
Across time
Section-level results available in the recovered archive.
Fall 2024
1 section