The Scientific Revolution

4.0 credits · Undergraduate

This seminar investigates the period of the so-called “scientific revolution.” As a foundational narrative of modernity, the scientific revolution posits a radical break from a medieval past, best exemplified through the emergence of the heliocentric system of astronomy in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe. In this course, students will critically explore how the notion of a “scientific revolution” emerged; why many historians today question it; and what alternatives may be put in its place. The bulk of this course will involve reading scientific texts from the period, including astronomy, medicine, natural history, alchemy, and magic. No science background is required. (HIST-HEU, HIST-HPE)