History of Science
ongoing · self-directed
natural philosophy
progress — 3 of 8 units complete
learning goals
- Understand the shift from natural philosophy to modern scientific method
- Read primary sources from at least three scientific revolutions
- Be able to explain the sociology of scientific consensus
- Write one long essay synthesising the course
schedule
| date |
topic |
assignment |
status |
| jan 15 |
The Aristotelian cosmos |
Reading response (500 words) |
done |
| feb 01 |
Copernicus & Galileo |
Primary source annotation |
done |
| feb 20 |
Newton & the mechanistic universe |
Reading response (500 words) |
done |
| mar 10 |
Darwin & deep time |
Annotated bibliography |
in progress |
| apr 01 |
The germ theory of disease |
Reading response (500 words) |
upcoming |
| apr 20 |
Einstein & quantum mechanics |
Reading response (500 words) |
upcoming |
| may 10 |
The structure of scientific revolutions (Kuhn) |
Discussion notes |
upcoming |
| jun 01 |
Synthesis |
Long essay (2000 words) |
upcoming |
readings
-
📖
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Thomas Kuhn
foundational — read this first if you haven't
-
📖
Leviathan and the Air-Pump
Shapin & Schaffer
-
📄
On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres
Nicolaus Copernicus
selections: preface + book I
-
📖
The Origin of Species
Charles Darwin
chapters 1, 3, 4, 14
-
📖
The Sleepwalkers
Arthur Koestler
notes
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