Our world depends on rules. Some, like the laws of physics, are universal; others were made by humans. This course examines how people designed, negotiated, and established a variety of rules to govern their social, cultural, religious, artistic, or intellectual practices. It cuts across time and space. Topics range from religious codes through technical conventions to landscape management and include the Ten Commandments, the length of the Roman foot, Egyptian obelisks, clocks, calendars, screws, printing, diplomatic protocols, and the founding of National Parks. Each week we will analyze how people agreed and disagreed about the creation of standards governing measurement, description, and conduct. Readings combine contemporary primary source texts with recent academic literature.