On the Dawn of Modernity

A look at the emergence of modernity and its conflicts with the classical world view as revealed in the writings of the Portuguese navigators (XVth and XVIth centuries) on their encounters with the non-European world. Readings will focus on fields such as astronomy, cartography, geography, shipbuilding, and anthropology, as stepping stones to the first scientific revolution. This literature has been practically unknown to non-Portuguese readers. Conducted in English.