Views of the Cosmos

Catalog description

This course offers an introduction to the study of the universe from scientific, religious, philosophical, and literary standpoints. The course content surveys humankind's efforts to understand the nature of the cosmos, including its origins, evolution, and eventual demise. The viewpoints of many religious groups, cultures, and scientific thinkers will be discussed and compared; moreover, the impact of these perspectives on the history of art and literature—from classical mythology to contemporary science fiction—will be analyzed. Contemporary debates in cosmology will be fully explored without mathematics, and students will demonstrate skills in scientific literacy and communication as they explore and represent the corollaries of these discoveries and controversies. Using techniques in formal literary analysis, students will also critique the ways in which works of literature have striven to represent the “universe” or the “cosmos,” often in ways that reflect historical and cultural attitudes regarding the limits of spiritual, empirical, or scientific reality; likewise, students will consider how such works envision the position, importance, or rights of the human within these contexts.