Courses in History of Science

HIST 211  Introduction to the History of Science (5) I&S
Introduction to major themes in the history of science. Investigation of historical and scientific methods through the study of particular historical cases.

HIST 215  The History of the Atomic Bomb (5) I&S
History of the atomic bomb from the beginning of nuclear physics to the security hearing of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Includes a study of the scientific achievements that made the bomb possible, the decision to deploy the bomb, the moral misgivings of the scientists involved.

HIST 217 The Space Age (5) I&S
Explores the history of ideas, events, and practices associated with the Space Age from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth. Emphasizes intellectual, cultural, and political/military history in the development of rockets and space technology in the United States, Germany, and the Soviet Union.

HIST 219 Science and the Arts in Early Modern Europe (5) I&S
Explores the role of artisanal craft practice and knowledge in the Scientific Revolution. Examines the artisanal world and its traditions of craft knowledge and follows the transmission of artisanal practice into the scholarly world of natural philosophy in the seventeenth century. Assesses the consequences for scientists and artisans.

HIST 310  Science and Religion in Historical Perspective (5) I&S
Scientific and religious ideas have been two of the major forces shaping our modern view of the world. Often regarded as being in conflict, they can equally well be seen as complementary and interdependent. Study of the relationship between scientific and religious ideas with focus on particular episodes of history from ancient to modern times.

HIST 311  Science in Civilization: Antiquity to 1600 (5) I&S
From pre-classical antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages, stressing the growth of scientific ideas, the cultural context in which they take shape, and their relationship to other movements of thought in the history of civilization.

HIST 312  Science in Civilization: Science in Modern Society (5) I&S
Growth of modern science since the Renaissance, emphasizing the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century, the development of methodology, and the emergence of new fields of interest and new modes of thought.

HIST 313  Science in Civilization: Physics and Astrophysics Since 1850 (5) I&S/NW
Organization and pursuit of the physical and astrophysical sciences, focusing on the major unifying principles of physics and astronomy and the social and cultural settings in which they were created. Offered: jointly with ASTR 313.

HIST 314  The Psychoanalytic Revolution in Historical Perspective (5) I&S
Genesis and evolution of Freudian theory in context of the crisis of liberal-bourgeois culture in central Europe and parallel developments in philosophy, literature, and social theory. Emergence and division of the psychoanalytic movement. Transformation of psychoanalysis as it was absorbed into British, French, and especially American cultural traditions.

HIST 315  History of Technology to 1940 (5) I&S
Technology since the Middle Ages, in its social and historical contexts. From the medieval foundations of metal working, its social consequences and the establishment of a class of engineering practitioners, to the transformation of American rural life, domestic technology, and industry before World War II.

HIST 390  Colloquium in History and Science (5) I&S
Study in the history of science to bridge the gap between the natural sciences and the humanities. Students should have a strong background both in history and in a natural science.

HIST 412  Science and the Enlightenment (5) I&S
The role of science in relation to intellectual, social, economic, and religious forces in the eighteenth century, and growth of the international community in science during the same period.

ESS 408 Great Geological Issues (3) NW
History and development of geological and paleontological theories and controversies; philosophy and methodology that have driven scientific inquiry in the earth sciences. Recommended: HIST 311; HIST 312. Offered: alternate years.

 Courses in Philosophy of Science >