Science and Muslim Empires

Catalog description

This course is an overview of the histories of science and knowledge in Muslim Empires. Starting with the Abbasid Caliphate and extending to the end of the Ottoman Empire in the early twentieth century, the readings provide an overview of key scholars, arguments and narratives. Students will get the opportunity to acquaint themselves with some of the chief intellectual characters, long-term dynamics and geographical differences and, to interrogate key notions such as “Islamic science,” “Westernization," and “Golden Age.” We will also walk through some key issues, such as the relationship between religion and science, philosophy and science, science and scholarship and, occult practices and science. The course also adopts a maximalist approach to Muslim geographies, extending from the strait of Gibraltar to the Indian subcontinent, with a brief foray into the Southeast Asian kingdoms. The goal of the course is to help students produce a research paper, which, depending on their linguistic skills, can be historical or historiographical. As part of the course, the students will also get the chance to look at the wealth of Arabic, Persian and Turkish manuscripts and early printed material in the Schonberg Collection.