History of Science

Catalog description

This course explores human thought about the natural world from the earliest civilizations to the present. Students investigate a central question: From where did our ideas about the scientific process arise? At the heart of this course is the idea that science and technology are not isolated from the rest of society. Rather, they are shaped by historical and societal forces even as they influence civilization. In this course, students discuss the evolution of great scientific ideas of the past and the effects of religious, political, economic and social contexts on the development of scientific principles. Through close reading, analysis, discussion and integration of primary and secondary source materials, students make connections among the disciplines of history, theology, philosophy and science.