A course of independent study
Compendium
People, works, and ideas.
A connected way to learn them.
Explore nine study paths across the humanities, sciences, and culture. Each moves through a sequence of subjects, with full explanations and supporting details gathered beneath their main topics.
106,999 entries 57 subjects 9 study paths
Choose a path and begin with its first subject, or enter wherever your curiosity takes you. Read each chapter’s main topics first; the indented entries add depth.
Study path 01 9 subjects 14,145 entries
Literature & Language
Begin with the tools of close reading and the structure of language. Then follow literary traditions through their authors, works, forms, and recurring ideas.
Begin this path- Literary Terms & DevicesRhetorical figures, forms, genres, and critical vocabulary.
- LinguisticsThe structure of language: phonology, syntax, semantics, and historical change.
- Classical LiteratureGreek and Latin epic, drama, poetry, and prose of antiquity.
- World LiteratureMajor non-English-language authors and works across world traditions.
- British & Irish LiteratureEnglish and Irish authors and works from Beowulf to the present.
- American LiteratureMajor American authors, works, and movements from the colonial era to today.
- PoetryPoetic traditions, forms, poets, and individual poems, with their images, voices, and recurring themes.
- Modern & Contemporary Literature20th- and 21st-century global literature, movements, and major figures.
- Literary PrizesMajor literary awards and notable laureates.
Study path 02 3 subjects 5,989 entries
Myth & Belief
Explore stories of origins, gods, and heroes across cultures, then connect those traditions to religious texts, practices, institutions, and thought.
Begin this path- World MythologyNorse, Egyptian, Hindu, Mesopotamian, Celtic, Japanese, Mesoamerican, Finnish, African, Polynesian, Slavic, and other mythological traditions.
- Greco-Roman MythologyOlympian gods, heroes, and myths of Greece and Rome.
- World ReligionsBeliefs, texts, and history of the major world religions.
Study path 03 8 subjects 15,124 entries
History
Build a chronological framework, move into regional histories, and return to the journeys, conflicts, laws, and political changes that connect them.
Begin this path- Ancient HistoryMesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the classical world.
- World History & EmpiresMajor civilizations and empires of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
- European HistoryEurope from the Middle Ages through the 20th century.
- American HistoryU.S. history from colonization through the present, with presidents and turning points.
- Explorers & ExplorationVoyages of discovery by land and sea across the ages.
- Wars, Battles & ConflictsMajor wars, decisive battles, revolutions, and their outcomes.
- Documents, Laws & Court CasesFoundational documents, treaties, and landmark legal decisions.
- The Modern World (1945-Present)The Cold War, decolonization, globalization, and 21st-century events.
Study path 04 9 subjects 18,688 entries
Fine & Performing Arts
Learn the visual and musical languages of the arts. Follow movements into individual works, then explore buildings, performance, and the moving image.
Begin this path- Art MovementsStyles and schools from the Renaissance to contemporary art.
- Artists & ArtworksMajor painters, sculptors, and their defining works.
- ArchitectureArchitectural styles, landmark buildings, and major architects.
- Music TheoryNotation, harmony, form, and the vocabulary of music.
- Classical MusicComposers, eras, and major works of the Western classical tradition.
- OperaComposers, operas, characters, and musical drama, from early traditions to modern works.
- Popular MusicJazz, blues, rock, hip-hop, and popular genres and artists.
- Theater & DanceDrama, playwrights, ballet, and the performing arts.
- FilmMajor directors, films, movements, and the history of cinema.
Study path 05 11 subjects 18,413 entries
Science
Start with mathematical and statistical tools. Work outward through matter, the universe, Earth, and living systems, then connect those ideas to health and discovery.
Begin this path- MathematicsBranches, theorems, constants, and famous problems of mathematics.
- Statistics & Data ScienceProbability, study design, inference, regression, prediction, and responsible data analysis.
- PhysicsMechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, relativity, and quantum theory.
- Particle & Nuclear PhysicsSubatomic particles, the Standard Model, and nuclear processes.
- ChemistryElements, bonding, reactions, and the organization of the periodic table.
- AstronomyStars, the solar system, galaxies, cosmology, and the history of space exploration.
- Earth & Climate ScienceGeology, the atmosphere, oceans, and the climate system.
- BiologyCells, genetics, evolution, physiology, and the diversity of life.
- Medicine & AnatomyHuman anatomy, disease, and milestones in medicine.
- Public Health & EpidemiologyPopulation health, study designs, disease measurement, prevention, surveillance, and health policy.
- Inventions & DiscoveriesKey inventions and scientific discoveries and who made them.
Study path 06 5 subjects 3,636 entries
Technology & Computing
Trace computing from its origins to algorithms and networks. Continue into machine learning and the engineering principles behind designed systems.
Begin this path- Computing HistoryFrom mechanical calculators to the modern computer.
- Computer ScienceAlgorithms, data structures, theory, and programming concepts.
- The Internet & NetworkingHow networks and the web work, and their history.
- AI & Machine LearningConcepts, milestones, and key ideas in artificial intelligence.
- EngineeringDesign, mechanics, energy, materials, systems, infrastructure, manufacturing, safety, and the major engineering fields.
Study path 07 8 subjects 15,113 entries
Mind & Society
Move from questions about knowledge and the mind to cultures, institutions, economies, and power. Geography and education bring these perspectives into everyday life.
Begin this path- PhilosophyMajor philosophers, schools, and problems from antiquity to now.
- Psychology & NeuroscienceThe brain, behavior, cognition, and influential studies.
- AnthropologyHuman origins, culture, kinship, and major anthropologists.
- SociologySocial structure, theory, and major sociological thinkers.
- EconomicsMicro and macro concepts, schools of thought, and key economists.
- Political Science & GovernmentSystems of government, political theory, and institutions.
- GeographyPhysical and human geography: capitals, features, and terms.
- Education & LearningLearning science, teaching, curriculum, assessment, education research, institutions, access, and lifelong learning.
Study path 08 3 subjects 14,871 entries
Modern Culture
Study the food, games, entertainment, and shared references of everyday culture, with people and details gathered around the traditions they belong to.
Begin this pathStudy path 09 1 subject 1,020 entries
Connections & Further Topics
Follow the remaining connections across fields and explore topics that sit outside the main subject paths.
Begin this pathRead further
Books and works by subject in Canon