The Scientific Revolution

Catalog description

Between the end of the fifteenth and the end of the seventeenth centuries the Western understanding of the natural world was transformed in ways that have probably done more than anything else to shape the world we live in today. This course will cover the well-known elements of that scientific revolution, including the discoveries of scientists like Galileo, Boyle, and Newton, and the philosophical theories of Bacon and Descartes. However, it will devote equal attention to the context of that transformation, including the social world of early modern science, developments in fields like natural history and alchemy, and political and econimic factors influencing scientific theory and practice. Students will gain an understanding of the intricate complexity of the developing scientific enterprise.