Science in Western Thought I

Catalog description

Science is a powerful symbol and a source of authority in the modern world. It is also an important and demanding practice, one that has shaped our lives and transformed our knowledge. But the meaning of science, its scope, and its uses, have changed a great deal over time. Likewise, just as science has altered our social and material lives, change has worked in the opposite direction as well: social priorities and cultural contexts have shaped the development of scientific knowledge and practice. This class will allow us to explore the dynamic relationship between science and society by considering key episodes and themes in the history of science from antiquity to the eighteenth century. Throughout the course, we will reflect on some of the very different ways that men and women have tried to organize, extend, and represent their knowledge of nature, and we will consider to what purposes and with what effects they have done so. Counts as a Communication Intensive course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.