This course is designed to inform the students about famous intellects in American history and their thoughts. In this course, the students will be provided with not only the American intellectual tradition of religion, arts, culture, politics as well as economic and social development, but also more importantly, the practice in critical thinking through a wide variety of reading as well as lectures and discussions. The course will help the students develop a better understanding of intellectual tradition’s role in shaping modern American society as well as its continuing influence on contemporary American life.